TEXTHELP AND N2Y JOIN FORCES TO MAKE EDUCATION AND THE WORKPLACE MORE INCLUSIVE FOR EVERYONE

USA - English

• APAC - English
• USA - English

• n2y, a trailblazer in special education curriculum resources, and Texthelp, the global leader in literacy and assistive technology have agreed to merge
• The combined business will globally serve learners with diverse needs as well as employees in the workplace across the entire neurodiverse spectrum
• Five Arrows, the alternative assets arm of Rothschild & Co, has backed both n2y and Texthelp, and will remain the majority shareholder of the combined business

HURON, Ohio and BOSTON, March 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- n2y and Texthelp have agreed to merge, creating a category leader in education technology that will change the way the needs of diverse learners are met. This new organization is also committed to bridging the gap between education and the workplace, combining resources to provide support to individuals wherever they are - classroom, office, conference room or boardroom. Five Arrows, the alternative assets arm of Rothschild & Co remains the controlling shareholder of the combined business. Providence Equity Partners and Verdane will continue as minority investors alongside Five Arrows.

Both companies were established over 25 years ago and share a long legacy of purpose led innovation aimed at improving the lives of others. n2y's expertise lies in creating an integrated digital ecosystem of academic curriculum, behavior, communication and IEP management solutions for education. Texthelp specializes in cloud-based assistive technology and learning analytics for the education and corporate sectors.

Texthelp and n2y are centered around a core belief that everyone deserves the right to understand and be understood. As a consequence of the focus on helping a wide group of people reach their full potential, both businesses are poised to deliver significant societal impact. By 2030, Texthelp and n2y aim to impact the literacy, numeracy and understanding of 1 billion people.

The two businesses are known in their markets for the relationships they build and the support that they provide to their partner districts and workplaces to ensure maximum levels of impact. n2y's mastery for delivering engaging and interactive learning experiences perfectly complements Texthelp's expertise in developing robust, data-driven inclusion tools. Together, they will catalyze the evolution of digital learning globally to suit diverse learning styles and communication needs while promoting accessibility and inclusivity.

"We both recognize, understand and celebrate what makes students and adults unique. For us, addressing diverse needs in schools and in the workplace is not simply a legal requirement, it's a cultural imperative." said Martin McKay, CEO, Texthelp. "Uniting our teams means that our mission to advance the literacy and understanding of 1 billion people not only becomes more possible, but we can also make a deeper, richer impact on people's lives. We couldn't be more excited to make that mark on society, together as one."

"n2y and Texthelp have learned from the best educators and employers that it is futile to try to find a label for a set of complex learner needs based on which educational standards they follow, what primary disability they have or accommodation they require. Instead, we honor each learner as an individual." added Ed Holmes, CEO, n2y. "Together, we will offer robust solutions for schools, universities and employers to be more inclusive and support their people to build the confidence, knowledge and skills to be independent and successful." 

Evercore acted as financial advisor to n2y and William Blair acted as financial advisor to Texthelp as part of the transaction.

About n2y

n2y is changing the lives of special education administrators and teachers, therapists, and paraprofessionals, and all the students they serve. Its award-winning, research-based solutions are designed specifically to address the needs of the whole child and help unique learners meet their state's standards. Integrated curriculum, behavior and communication solutions combined with an IEP development and management tool empower educators to teach and students to achieve. For more information on these solutions, please visit n2y.com.

About Texthelp

Founded in 1996, the Texthelp Group is a global technology company helping people all over the world to understand and to be understood. It has led the way in creating innovative technology for the education and workplace sectors for the last three decades.

Texthelp believes in a world where difference, disability or language are no longer barriers. It is focused on helping all people learn, understand, and communicate through the use of digital education and accessibility tools.

With over 200 million users worldwide, the Texthelp suite of products includes Read&Write, Equatio^® and OrbitNote^®. All of which work alongside existing platforms such as Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, enabling them to be integrated quickly into any classroom or workplace with ease. To learn more about Texthelp, visit www.texthelp.com.

About Five Arrows

Five Arrows is the alternative assets arm of Rothschild & Co and has €26 billion AuM with offices in Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Luxembourg. With over €9 billion of assets under management, the corporate private equity business of Five Arrows is focused on investing in companies with highly defensible market positions; strong management teams; business models with high visibility of organic unit volume growth and strong unit economics; and multiple operational levers that can be used to unlock latent value. Sectors are limited to data & software, technology-enabled business services and healthcare. For more information, please visit https://www.rothschildandco.com/en/five-arrows/corporate-private-equity/

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