Background
Partou (formerly known as KidsFoundation prior to the January 2020 merger) is a leading European childcare services provider, offering daycare for toddlers and children up to the school-starting age in the Netherlands and the UK, and pre- and after-school care for children aged four to 12 in the Netherlands. With approximately 770 centers and 72,000 children cared for by a workforce of roughly 11,000 employees, Partou is the leading childcare services provider in the Netherlands and a top-five player in the UK.
Active Ownership
During its investment period, Onex worked closely with the company on the following:
- Within six months of completion, sourced and executed a transformational Dutch acquisition that almost doubled Partou’s size;
- Completed 15 other add-on acquisitions since 2018;
- Active role in making Partou’s first UK acquisition (Just Childcare, 2021), as well as the review of 10+ other international opportunities;
- Technology transformation to improve customer experience and drive back-office cost savings;
- Driving continuous procurement and staff rostering initiatives, enabling ongoing efficiency gains;
- Strengthened the leadership team, by hiring a new CFO and creating COO and CTO positions.
Investment Results
Under Onex Partners’ ownership and partnership with the management team, Partou successfully transformed from a smaller, single-country childcare provider to a top-four provider in Europe, with improved technology and back-office capabilities, a strengthened management team, and increased profitability.