By Manya Saini
DUBAI (Reuters) -Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company said on Thursday it would acquire a minority stake in UK-based private school operator Nord Anglia Education for $600 million, joining a consortium led by private equity giant EQT.
Other investors in the group include Neuberger Berman, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Corporacion Financiera Alba, and Dubai Holding, Mubadala said in a statement.
Global investor appetite for education assets has grown in recent years, driven by surging demand for premium schooling, digital learning platforms and student mobility across borders.
From early years to higher education, the sector is attracting sovereign funds, buyout firms and pension investors betting on its resilience and long-term growth.
Mubadala, which manages more than $300 billion in assets, has in recent years deployed capital into sectors such as healthcare, technology and education as part of a strategy to invest in resilient, non-cyclical sectors.
EQT formed the consortium to take ownership of the international schools operator in October last year in a deal valued at $14.5 billion, including debt.
Nord Anglia operates in 33 countries, including the United Arab Emirates.
The company was floated in a $304 million New York IPO in 2014 before being taken private three years later in a deal that valued it at $4.3 billion.
Baring Asia Private Equity, now integrated into EQT, had bought Nord Anglia for $360 million in 2008.
(Reporting by Manya Saini in Dubai; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Rachna Uppal)
