Fremman to acquire a majority stake in Kids Planet. Founding management and BGF will remain as significant minority shareholders alongside Fremman.
Today, Fremman Capital (“Fremman”) announced the acquisition by Fremman of a majority stake in Kids Planet Day Nurseries (“Kids Planet”), the UK’s largest independently owned nursery operator, ranked #1 for quality childcare provision.
Kids Planet, mostly clustered around the Liverpool and Manchester area (with a recent expansion to Oxford), was established in 2008 by Clare Roberts and her father John Hoban, in response to Clare’s own challenges of finding flexible childcare. With 82 sites, responsible for the education of over 7,500 children, Kids Planet is the largest independent private operator of nurseries in the UK, and third largest operator overall.
Since 2016, CEO Clare Roberts has led a number of acquisitions and greenfield openings, expanding the roll-out of Kids Planet’s sites from 17 to more than 80, increasing the regional footprint of the business across the North West and into the Midlands.
The market is highly resilient and is expected to see a continued increase in demand for nursery provision. Market leaders, like Kids Planet, are best placed to capture a larger share of this growth, as well as capitalise on the consolidation opportunities in this highly fragmented market (with more than 10,000 single sites). The new investment from Fremman will support the acceleration of Kids Planet’s national expansion, further senior hires, and ongoing recruitment across its settings.
Clare Roberts, CEO of Kids Planet, said: “In many ways Kids Planet is unrecognisable from where we were five years ago. With our BGF partnership, we’ve scaled significantly, launched our own training academy and acquired one of our key competitors – all of which has allowed us to take the business to the next level. We have continued with an unwavering commitment to providing an outstanding level of childcare, as a matter of priority, which has been key to our success. There is significant opportunity in the market right now for acquisitions and for recruiting as we continue to scale. With renewed investment, we look forward to working with Fremman, and replicating our success in further regions across the UK.”
Chris Carney, Partner at Fremman said “We are very excited to partner with Clare and the whole team to support the outstanding Kids Planet growth story. The management teams unequivocal focus on best-in-class quality, strongly differentiates the group as they continue to develop into a national leader. We look forward to helping accelerate the potential of the company whilst sustaining these core values, and are confident that Fremman’s experience and shared vision will help support the next phase in their journey”. Ricardo de Serdio, Founding Partner and CEO at Fremman, added “We are absolutely delighted with the opportunity ahead, and look forward to partnering with Clare and the Kids Planet team”
About Kids Planet
Kids Planet is a family-owned group of 82 nurseries covering the North West and the Midlands. Established by working mum Clare Roberts and her father John Hoban in 2008, Kids Planet has grown over the last decade to become a leading early years provider in the North West and is now covering the Midlands. Clare’s sister, Lucy Kaczmarska is also the quality lead and Childcare Director. In March 2021, Kids Planet was ranked number 1 in the country for quality based on its Ofsted rankings by Nursery World. It has 82 sites and is responsible for the education of over 7,500 children, making it one of the largest nursery groups in the UK. We are fully committed to ensuring each child is given the best opportunities during their time with us.
For more information on Kids Planet visit www.kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk
About Fremman
Founded in 2020, Fremman is a pan-European, independent mid-market investment firm with offices in London, Madrid, Munich, and Paris. The firm is an established multi‐geography platform consisting of c.30 professionals that operates as one team. It is supported by a highly experienced Board of Advisors of 16 individuals that provide unique sector expertise and insights. The firm focuses on investments in four core sectors, including healthcare, business & tech services, consumer goods & distribution, industrials & sustainability. Utilising our reputation as trusted advisors, Fremman looks to partner with companies’ management teams to deploy multiple growth strategies, transforming businesses from national to multinational sustainable leaders. Kids Planet will be the fourth investment signed for Fremman in 2021, after The Natural Fruit Company, VPS, and Palex.
For more information on Fremman, visit fremman.com.
