Studienkreis

In 1974, Jürgen Hüholdt founded Studienkreis in Germany's Ruhr area, starting with small tutoring groups. The business steadily grew, opening its 100th location by 1982 and introducing a franchise model in the mid-1980s to accelerate expansion. By 1991, the company had begun its expansion into other German-speaking countries. A significant chapter began in 2003 when the founder sold the company to the Cornelsen publishing group. However, the business later struggled, operating at a loss. This led to another key event in 2013, when the private equity firm Aurelius acquired Studienkreis. Aurelius restructured the company, focusing on growth and digital services, and returned it to profitability. This successful turnaround culminated in a sale in 2017 to another private equity firm, IK Investment Partners, for 71.7 million Euros. Under IK's ownership, Studienkreis continued to grow its network of over 1,000 learning centers and expanded its digital offerings. The final, and most recent, major event occurred in 2022, when Austrian EdTech unicorn GoStudent acquired Studienkreis, aiming to create a hybrid online and offline learning model.