Kroton

In 1966, a new venture began in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, not as a tech startup, but as a pre-college preparatory course called Pitágoras. This was the foundational block for what would become Kroton Educacional, now known as Cogna Educação. The company was established with a focus on education, a mission it would expand dramatically over the next several decades. The company’s playbook involved aggressive growth through acquisition. A pivotal chapter in its story was the 2014 merger with its largest competitor, Anhanguera Educacional. This move created the world's largest higher education company by market capitalization at the time. Kroton's strategy was clear: consolidate the fragmented private education market in Brazil. It continued this approach with the acquisition of Somos Educação in 2018, significantly expanding its footprint in K-12 education. This rapid expansion led to a major corporate restructuring. In 2019, the company rebranded from Kroton to Cogna, creating a holding company to manage its diverse business units. These units included Kroton (higher education), Vasta/Somos (K-12 solutions), and Saber (educational services). This reorganization paved the way for the next phase of its capital markets journey. The company pursued an IPO for its subsidiary Vasta on the Nasdaq, signaling its ambition on a global stage. Today, Cogna operates across nearly every segment of education in Brazil, from preschool to post-graduation, a testament to its long and acquisitive history.