IU Group (formerly Career Partner Group) is Germany’s largest and fastest-growing private university group, with over 70,000 students enrolled across a mix of omni channel degree courses and studies with a strong focus on online learning.
The Group is a pioneer in delivering high-quality education, leveraging technology and innovation to meet the changing needs of students. Today, IU’s unique vertically-integrated education platform offers the largest portfolio of degree programmes in Europe with more than 200 accredited courses. The Group has ambitions to further develop its digital degree offering, expand vocational and corporate learning, and internationalise its business beyond Europe to become the world’s largest university.
Disrupting an industry that is central to individuals and corporates alike and has long been dominated by well-established institutions can be a daunting but exciting challenge. Higher education is one such sector, where bricks-and-mortar universities have traditionally enjoyed a monopoly on students’ education. But shifting dynamics in how we learn, work and interact, coupled with technological advances, have changed how students can access and structure their education. The market for online and dual studies degrees is growing rapidly, especially in the corporate sector, creating strong opportunities for a digitally-native business such as IU. Oakley Capital acquired a majority stake in the company in November 2017 through a carve-out from US business Apollo Education Group. Oakley’s strong track record in the education and online consumer sectors means we were well-placed to support IU’s ambitious growth plans.
Oakley immediately identified three core ingredients for the Group’s future success. The first of these is the growth mindset which pervades all parts of the organisation. Led by CEO Sven Schütt, IU’s team of entrepreneurs, technology experts and educators has consistently defined and delivered on ever-ambitious targets, including faster growth rates, new programs, strategic initiatives and scaling the Group’s offering into new opportunities.
The second crucial ingredient is innovation and creativity, enabling the Group to develop the right content and tailor appropriate formats that meet changing demands for new courses and skills, that deliver the best possible outcomes for students, and provide valuable accreditation that improves career prospects.
Thirdly, at its very core IU is an edtech business: the Group has successfully technologised and optimised every step in the value chain, from content creation to learning delivery. This means IU is able to anticipate and take advantage of changing market dynamics, launch new programs, and effectively scale up its offering to meet increasing demand and student enrolments. The coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated how significant IU’s competitive edge really is: unlike its traditional competitors, IU has placed online learning at the very core of its education offering for many years now.
Oakley has supported IU Group by encouraging management to set ambitious goals for the business and helping the team to achieve them.
All this investment is bearing fruit. Last year alone, total student enrolments almost doubled, and today IU boasts more than 200 accredited bachelor and master programs and dynamic library assets of more than 150,000 learning hours. The Group enjoys high customer satisfaction rates and a 97% recommendation rate.
The shift to online education is accelerating as students embrace flexible, modular learning that supports their career goals. At the same time, international demand for affordable, accessible education as well as vocational and corporate learning is growing exponentially. Analysts estimate the global higher education market will grow to $2.3 trillion by 2027. With its strong market position, first-mover advantage, proven track record and tech expertise, IU is well-placed to drive digital progress and profit from this demand. With Oakley’s support, the Group plans to continue expanding into new content and geographies, into developing partnerships with corporates and universities, and investing in its digital offering in order to deliver on its ambitious goal of becoming the world’s largest university.
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