Education Capital Markets

M&A advisors to the companies and entrepreneurs who serve the cause of teaching and learning

Businesses serving the education market currently comprise more than 10% of the roughly $1.4 trillion that is spent on education in the U.S. annually, and this percentage is growing. Cherry Tree has worked closely with companies in the education markets since its founding in 1980. Our approach has stayed consistent: to bring together, support growth, and achieve optimal outcomes for the entrepreneurs, investors, and businesspeople whose mission it is to serve the cause of teaching and learning.

Education companies include a variety of products and services such as content developers, delivery platforms, services firms, publishers, assessment providers, and data reporting & analytics companies. Their solutions include adaptive software, administrative software, analytics, assessments, A/V equipment, content, curriculum, for-profit schools and colleges, learning management systems, library equipment, professional development, publishing, school furniture, school photography, special needs products, student information systems, skills training, test prep, and tutoring to name but a few.

Subsector Expertise

Pre –K thru 12
We have a deep history working with Pre-K-12 firms, from pre-K literacy assessments to K-12 curriculum, assessment, and delivery platforms, at all stages of the value chain.
Postsecondary
Cherry Tree has a long history in the for-profit education space, with leading firms such as Capella University which we incubated, funded, and served as buy-side advisor.
Corporate/Training
Our firm has effectively served a variety of providers of instructional services and learning products used in corporate training.
Direct-to-Consumer
Our experience includes working with companies who sell direct to learners and their parents, in areas such as tutoring, test prep, and language learning.

An hour spent with a trio of investment bankers from Cherry Tree & Associates talking about the education market turned out to be one of my best interviews based on a misunderstanding. >Full Article

Lee Schafer
Columnist | Star Tribune

Contact Us

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education@cherrytree.com

INDUSTRY UPDATE

Education Capital Markets Monthly Newsletter

Cherry Tree created the Education Capital Markets Monthly Newsletter, which includes the Education For-Profit Index, to track and report on capital raising, M&A activity, and valuations in this dynamic market.

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IMPACT REPORT

Assessing AI’s Impact Across the Education Sector

An Early Look at How AI is Reshaping the Industry.

As we look ahead to 2026, we expect AI to be a core catalyst driving M&A activity across the education sector. It’s easy to make blanket statements regarding AI in education. In reality, its impacts are nuanced and vary widely. That’s why we’re releasing our AI Impact Report which dives into each education sub-sector.

In this report we unpack the layers of AI impact with specificity across the market. We make predictions, expecting to be specifically wrong but directionally correct. We also address what we’re seeing across capital markets in relation to education businesses. This report has been fully composed by humans, with a little help in research and editing from AI. Reach out, we’d love to hear what you think.

Author Ben Huss is an expert in the education technology sector, having covered the industry as an advisor and operator for nearly 10 years. Prior to joining Cherry Tree, Ben managed M&A and Strategy at a large AI-driven academic support company. Now, Ben closely monitors the AI landscape with an eye toward its short and long-term impacts on the education sector.

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Education Team Leader

Chad Johnson
Managing Partner

Chad is a nationally known expert in K-12 and post secondary education and has developed a long and successful track record of leading both sell-side and buy-side M&A transactions. more>>