Private equity firm snaps up 50% stake in Arden University

In an agreement some news outlets are claiming is worth more than $1 billion, the private equity company has struck a deal with Arden’s current owners Global University Systems (GUS).

Under the plans, Brightstar partner and co-chair Marcelo Claure is expected to serve as the university’s board chair once the deal has gone through – likely to be by the end of the year.

Arden University is a UK-based online and blended learning institution headquartered in Coventry with study centres around the UK and online students undertaking programs from around the world.

Arden vice-chancellor and CEO Carl Lygo said the agreement marked an “exciting inflection point” for the university.

“We believe this partnership enables us to supercharge our strategy of delivering innovative learning experiences, scaling our reach, and embedding AI to support every student more effectively,” he said.

With more than 40,000 students, next year the institution is set to start offering UK-accredited degrees to its students worldwide. It currently has indefinite taught degree awarding powers in the UK.

Meanwhile, Claure said that Arden “is not just innovative but helps transform the lives of its students.”

We believe this partnership enables us to supercharge our strategy of delivering innovative learning experiences, scaling our reach, and embedding AI to support every student more effectively
^{_{Carl Lygo, Arden University}}

Claure is said to have led the way in forging a relationship with Arden and GUS. The veteran financier recently joined Brightstar with a focus on rolling out AI across the firm’s portfolio, and the private equity company said the deal with Arden will see both parties “supercharging digital innovation to benefit all of Arden’s stakeholders and scale its international reach”.

He continued: “With its digital-first model, operational scalability, and commitment to student outcomes, we are confident that Arden can both expand its geographic footprint and deploy advanced AI tools to personalise learning, streamline support, and enhance the overall student experience.”

And GUS executive chairman and CEO, Aaron Etingen, remarked that Brightstar’s focus on AI made it “the ideal partner for this next chapter”. He said the deal marked a “pivotal moment for Arden”, which would help “build the future of education that is flexible, accessible, and powered by intelligent technology”.

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