DMGT’s Hobsons Inc., an industry-leading education technology company, announced today that it has sold Hobsons Solutions, the international division of Hobsons Inc. and the leading provider of international enrollment management solutions to universities worldwide, to Quacquarelli Symonds, a Mitsui & Co. investment.
JEGI | Clarity (www.jegi.com | www.claritycp.com), the leading independent investment bank for the global media, information, marketing, software and tech-enabled services sectors, with offices in New York, Boston, London and Sydney, represented Hobsons in this transaction. Tyton Partners co-advised on the transaction.
The acquisition will allow QS, a leading and trusted brand in higher education research and student information services, to build on its global product offering and realize data and service synergies with the Hobsons Solutions portfolio.
Nunzio Quacquarelli, CEO of QS, said: “Hobsons Solutions adds another dimension to our already strong international student marketing activities and will allow us to bring proven services to the 2,000 leading higher education institutions QS already serves. We look forward to benefiting from the wealth of experience and knowledge the talented Hobsons Solutions team brings with them.”
Hobsons Inc. is well known for its leading K-12 college and career readiness platform Naviance, its student-college matching platform Intersect, and its higher education student success and analytics platform Starfish, and plans to concentrate on that core business moving forward.
“As Hobsons Inc. looks to the future, we want to focus our portfolio and continue to build upon our leadership position in Naviance, Intersect, and Starfish – with the aim of helping K-12 schools and districts and higher education institutions advance their student success goals,” said Hobsons CEO Kate Cassino. “QS is well-positioned to support the future growth of the Solutions business, and continue to serve its existing university client base.”
About Hobsons Solutions
Hobsons Solutions, a division of Hobsons, Inc., is the global market leader in international student enrollment services and insight. Each year Hobsons deals with hundreds of thousands of students globally, providing unique insight into the student recruitment market. The division’s research, strategy, enquiry management and enrollment services mean they have hands-on experience of the obstacles and opportunities within specific countries and regions, helping clients mitigate risk, benefit from existing relationships, and build sustainable recruitment strategies in an increasingly complex marketplace. Hobsons Solutions also manages one of the world’s largest international student research initiatives, the International Student Survey (ISS), enabling clients to better compete globally and maximize student recruitment and enrollment. For more information, visit www.hobsonssolutions.com.
About QS Quacquarelli Symonds
QS Quacquarelli Symonds is a leading global higher education company, with over 250 employees across 5 continents. QS is best known for publishing the QS World University Rankings – the world’s most popular university ranking system. Every year, the company helps tens of millions of prospective students and working professionals make the right educational choices and to develop the skills to succeed in their career and life. This is achieved by hosting 350+ global events, as well as offering various products, services and online platforms aimed at linking students around the world (Undergraduate, Masters, PhD, MBA, and executive-level) with the educational institution best suited to them. QS is dedicated to a brighter future for the higher education world, helping students everywhere achieve their potential. For more information, visit www.qs.com.
