Benesse

The story begins in 1955 in Okayama, Japan, with a man named Tetsuhiko Fukutake. He founded a company called Fukutake Publishing to create educational materials for junior high school students. The company's initial focus was direct-to-consumer, built on a bedrock of correspondence courses, a model that defined its early success and cash-driven business approach. In 1986, Tetsuhiko's son, Soichiro Fukutake, took the helm after his father's passing. This leadership change marked the beginning of a significant transformation. The company began to think beyond just educational publishing. In 1990, it adopted a new philosophy captured by the term "Benesse," a word created from the Latin for "well-being" (bene esse). This concept would guide its expansion into new areas like senior care and childcare. A pivotal moment came in 1995 when the company officially renamed itself Benesse Corporation and went public on the Osaka and Hiroshima stock exchanges, later listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2000. This period also saw a major acquisition: a majority stake in the global language school Berlitz International, which Benesse fully acquired in 2001. More recently, in a move to accelerate its strategy, Benesse was taken private in 2024 through a management buyout backed by private equity firm EQT.