CPE News (11/12/2021) – ETS has acquired a majority stake in Kira Talent. The deal was led by ETS Strategic Capital, the private equity investment and merger and acquisition execution arm for ETS, its subsidiaries and its partners.
Kira Talent will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of ETS. Kira Talent’s CEO Emilie Cushman and staff will remain in place as part of the deal’s terms.
Kira Talent has previously raised CDN $8 million in seed and Series A funding from Relay Ventures, BDC Capital, Globalive Capital, Roger Martin and others.
ETS and Kira Talent did not disclose if any or all of the investors has (have) been bought out.
Founded by Cushman and Konrad Listwan-Ciesielski, Toronto based Kira Talent is the world’s only holistic admissions platform solution designed for higher education. Kira transforms the admissions process by combining on-demand, timed video and timed written assessments with existing admissions requirements.
Kira Talent works with over 300 programs worldwide to build applicant-first assessments that identify and select their best-fit students.
photo credit: Kira Talent
News Release
ETS Acquires a Majority Stake in Kira Talent as Part of Continued Expansion of Global Higher Education Portfolio
Kira Talent will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of ETS
PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 11, 2021 /CNW/ — ETS announced today that it has acquired a majority stake in Toronto-based, Kira Talent, the world’s only holistic admissions platform solution designed for higher education, as the organization continues to expand its Global Higher Education portfolio and diversify its offerings to bolster commitment to serving the graduate education community and beyond. The deal was led by ETS Strategic Capital, the private equity investment and merger and acquisition execution arm for ETS, its subsidiaries and its partners. Kira Talent will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of ETS. Kira Talent’s CEO and staff will remain in place as part of the deal’s terms.
“Kira Talent’s offerings will serve as a well-suited addition to our Global Higher Education portfolio for which a sharp, intentional focus on holistic admissions has always been at the forefront,” said Alberto Acereda, Associate Vice President of Global Higher Education at ETS. “We look forward to playing an integral role in their continued success in delivering high-quality, equitable education opportunities to all learners as they advance in their learning journeys.”
Kira Talent’s video and assessment platform will be part of ETS’s Global Higher Education portfolio, advancing the digital transformation being undertaken to deliver a seamless, all-in-one solution for learners pursuing higher education and careers, and the higher education institutions and employers they’ll touch along the way. The portfolio of tools, services and assessments, which includes the previously acquired GradSchoolMatch™ platform, will aim to empower institutions to make more informed decisions and achieve desired outcomes, from recruiting the right learners and ensuring their success to helping them graduate and find a career.
“From day one, our focus at Kira Talent has been on the belief that a holistic admissions process in higher education is the best way to ensure equity and fairness in education now and in the future,” said Emilie Cushman, President and CEO of Kira Talent. “We know that ETS shares this belief, so working more closely with them will allow us to align with ETS’s social mission and continue to deliver educational opportunities to students and institutions worldwide.”
“Both ETS and Kira Talent are well-positioned to partner strategically together to ensure access and equality for learners in higher education long-term,” said Ralph Taylor-Smith, Managing Director of ETS Strategic Capital. “Our ETS Strategic Capital team continues to be focused on strengthening market fit and driving global business growth for ETS, and we are pleased to have been able to collaborate closely with both Alberto and Emilie to bring this deal to successful fruition.”
This deal will fuel rapid growth for Kira Talent as they scale development of their education admissions solutions, which will include new suites of products incorporating alternative and quantitative assessments as well as further expansion of their structured interview platform. In addition, Kira has plans for continued global expansion of its workforce to meet increased product demand, acceleration of partnership opportunities, and forging pathways to serve new markets and a broader diversity of higher education partners.
SOURCE ETS
For further information: ETS: Kristen Lacaillade, 609-524-8172, mediacontacts@ets.org or Kira Talent: Marissa Ho, 888-589-5661, press@kiratalent.com