17 March 2026 – Fremman Capital (“Fremman”) today announced the successful closing of a continuation fund to support the next phase of growth for Kids Planet, one of the UK’s leading nursery operators. The transaction, which was oversubscribed, is anchored by Ares Secondaries (“Ares”), with Committed Advisors and Kline Hill acting as co-leads, alongside a consortium of leading institutional investors.
Founded in 2008 and headquartered in the UK, Kids Planet is the second largest and fastest-growing nursery operator in the country, with more than 270 nurseries across England and Wales. The Company has built an outstanding reputation for the quality of its early years education and childcare, pursuing a targeted consolidation and integration strategy within the highly fragmented UK market.
Since Fremman’s initial investment, Kids Planet has more than tripled its nursery footprint, through a combination of continued development within its existing site network, greenfield openings and disciplined buy-and-build execution.
During this period, Fremman has worked closely with management to strengthen the Company’s operating platform, enhance its leadership team and invest heavily in its technology and systems infrastructure. These initiatives have enabled Kids Planet to scale rapidly while maintaining and further enhancing its quality and educational standards.
Looking ahead, Fremman’s investment thesis for Kids Planet remains centred on the continuation of the Company’s proven UK growth model, whilst also offering further upside through selective international expansion over time. Fremman expects the strategy to deliver significant value creation over the next phase of the Company’s development.
Clare Roberts, Founder & CEO of Kids Planets, comments, “We are delighted to begin this new chapter with Fremman, whose values closely align with our commitment to supporting children’s development and giving them the best start in life. Their investment also enables us to continue developing our colleagues through training and career opportunities, while strengthening quality and safeguarding across our nurseries to maintain the highest standards.”
Chris Carney, Partner at Fremman Capital, notes, “We are very excited to continue our journey with Kids Planet, and proud of both the world-class management team we are backing, and the success of the platform to date. Continuing to keep quality at the heart of every decision made, there remains a huge opportunity in both UK and beyond, and we look forward to working with Clare and the wider team to deliver upon the next phase of Kids Planet growth.
Clement Beaudin, Managing Director at Ares, comments, “We are pleased to support Kids Planet’s growth trajectory by providing our differentiated financing capabilities, and look forward to working with Fremman as they continue unlocking the company’s full potential.”
Lazard and Paul, Weiss advised Fremman on the creation and closing of Fremman Special Opportunities 1 SCSP and sale of Kids Planet.
About Fremman
Fremman is a pan-European, mid-market investment firm with offices in London, Madrid, Paris, Munich, Milan, and Luxembourg. Founded in 2020, Fremman partners with successful founders and management teams to transform businesses from local champions to multinational sustainable leaders.
Learn more at www.fremman.com
About Kids Planet
Kids Planet is a leading UK provider of early years education and childcare services. Founded in 2008, the group operates a network of nurseries across England and Wales and is known for the quality of its educational offering.
Learn more at www.kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk.