Current
Commitment:
£20m
Date of investment:
2019
Sector:
Software
Buy & Build:
13 Completed Acquisitions
“Horizon Capital’s track record in scaling SaaS software businesses and building business through intense buy and build makes them the right partner for Junipers consolidation of the highly fragmented Schools SaaS market.”
Gavin FreedChairman, Juniper
Background
Juniper Education is a provider of SaaS software and subscription services to UK and International Schools. Juniper’s focus is to deliver high quality software products and wrap around services that enable schools and teachers to focus their time on the effectiveness of their educational delivery. Junipers software suite comprises pupil tracking, curriculum planning, management information, HR and compliance. Junipers subscription based services include payroll, HR and finance.
The market for software and services to schools is highly fragmented with dozens of single product companies providing point solutions to schools. The market is large with 32,000 schools in the UK and over 10,000 english medium international schools globally. Market growth of 5-6% per annum is being driven by increased adoption of technology.
Horizon identified an opportunity to consolidate the market and create a market leading business providing a single solution for all a schools requirements. Juniper also has an opportunity to extend a number of its software products into Early Years, Further and Higher Education.
The Journey so far
Horizon Capital created Juniper Education in 2019 working with Chief Executive Gavin Freed in 2019 and acquired Target Tracker a provider of student tracking to 4,000 schools from Essex County Council together with the Councils HR & Finance services to Schools in Essex and neighbouring authorities.
Since the initial acquisition we have invested to build a full management team, implement new ERP and CRM systems and have invested heavily in product development. Organically and through acquisition Junipers products are now used by over 10,000 schools.
Buy and Build
Since the investment from Horizon Capital, Juniper has completed 13 add on acquisitions, and is now the most comprehensive software solutions for UK Schools.
News & Insights
Related Infomation
Horizon Capital portfolio company Juniper Education in significant re-financing to support growth
Juniper Education, the Horizon Capital backed education software company, has undertaken a significant refinancing with debt provider Muzinich & Co joining existing lender Clydesdale bank to bolster its acquisition chest…
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Juniper Education enhances parental engagement with acquisition of PrimarySite
Juniper Education has today announced the acquisition of PrimarySite, which provides nearly 5,000 primary schools, academies, and trusts with subscription based educational websites and comprehensive parent communication solutions. Combining PrimarySite’s…
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Horizon Capital portfolio company Juniper Education strengthens HR and payroll support for schools with Jane Systems acquisition
January 2021: Juniper Education, has today announced the acquisition of Jane Systems, a specialist education Human Resources (HR) and Payroll software provider, which supplies products to hundreds of multi academy…
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