Europa Education Group has completed its acquisition of Plena Education from KYIP Capital, taking the international education group into Italy and expanding its academic presence to four European countries.
The transaction, completed on 1 October 2026, represents KYIP Capital’s first exit and adds an Italian creative-arts higher education platform with approximately 5,300 students, nearly 90 academic programmes and 14 campuses across six cities. Europa Education, which is backed by EQT Infrastructure and Permira, already operates institutions in Spain, Portugal and Andorra. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Plena comprises six institutions spanning design, art, music, fashion, film, gastronomy and communication. Approximately 19% of its students are international, compared with about 7% when KYIP began its investment in 2022.
During KYIP’s ownership, Plena expanded from approximately 2,600 students and €14 million of revenue to around 5,300 students and approximately €32.5 million of revenue in the 2025/26 academic year. Its buy-and-build strategy brought six Italian institutions together before the Plena Education group was established in 2023.
The investment period also included more than 40 new courses and programmes, additional institutional accreditations, campus expansion and refurbishment in locations including Milan and Rome, and new international university partnerships and double-degree programmes. Sales and marketing functions were centralised, while the group introduced shared digital tools, a group-wide CRM and more structured use of data across student acquisition and enrolment.
Buyer / Parties: Europa Education Group, backed by EQT Infrastructure and Permira
Target: Plena Education
Sector: Higher education / creative arts
Deal type: Acquisition / private-equity exit
Value: Undisclosed
Geography: Italy / Europe
Identified advisers: UBS, PedersoliGattai, Deloitte, Linklaters and EY
The acquisition gives Europa Education its first presence in Italy and extends its network across Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Italy. Plena adds six specialist creative-arts institutions and creates opportunities for academic collaboration, mobility and international exchange, while broadening Europa Education’s capabilities across design and other creative disciplines.
Buyer: Linklaters acted as legal adviser to Europa Education Group. EY provided commercial, tax and financial due diligence.
Seller: UBS acted as sole financial/M&A adviser to KYIP Capital. PedersoliGattai acted as legal adviser to the sellers. Deloitte provided vendor financial and tax due diligence.
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