Kahoot! Delisted From Oslo Børs Following Successful Acquisition Led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Oslo, Norway – January 23, 2024 – Kahoot!, the global learning and engagement platform company, today announced the delisting from Oslo Børs, in a successful acquisition process led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The delisting follows the initial offer period, the subsequent mandatory offer and the compulsory acquisition of all remaining shares of Kahoot!
Last July, Kangaroo BidCo AS announced a recommended voluntary offer from Goldman Sachs Asset Management, with co-investors General Atlantic FT B.V. (“General Atlantic”), KIRKBI Invest A/S (“KIRKBI”), Glitrafjord AS and certain other investors and management shareholders to acquire all outstanding shares in Kahoot! for a cash consideration of NOK 35.00 per share.
Eilert Hanoa, Chief Executive Officer at Kahoot! said: “The acquisition will provide significant opportunity for accelerating the company’s journey to become the leading learning platform in the world. As the need for engaging learning, across home, school and work, continues to grow, I am excited to leverage this partnership for our users, our ecosystem of partners, and for the talented team across the Kahoot! Group, to advance education for hundreds of millions of learners everywhere.
Michael Bruun, Global co-Head of Private Equity at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, said: “We are pleased that the acquisition of Kahoot! has concluded successfully. The company has a clear mission and value proposition, and our investment will help to grow its impact and accelerate value for all stakeholders. Through this transaction, we are pleased to partner with a fantastic leadership team and group of co-investors to expand a mission-critical learning and engagement platform and contribute to its further growth and innovation, organically and via M&A.”
Chris Caulkin, Managing Director and Head of Technology for EMEA at General Atlantic, said: “Through this transaction, we are pleased to deepen our commitment to support Kahoot!’s long-term growth in collaboration with the broader co-investor group. We look forward to our continued partnership with Eilert and the Kahoot! team in the years ahead.”
Thomas Lau Schleicher, Chief Investment Officer at KIRKBI, said: “We are excited to invest alongside Goldman Sachs Asset Management, General Atlantic, and Kahoot!'s management team to accelerate the growth of Kahoot!. We are impressed with the company’s journey, having developed an exciting range of products to interact with its users in a fun and engaging way. We support the company’s mission to empower learners and educators worldwide, which resonates with our core values and find the investment fits very well with KIRKBI’s long-term investment strategy.
About Kahoot!
Kahoot! is on a mission to make learning awesome! We want to empower everyone, including children, students, and employees to unlock their full learning potential. Our learning platform makes it easy for any individual or corporation to create, share, and host learning sessions that drive compelling engagement. Launched in 2013, Kahoot!’s vision is to build the leading learning platform in the world. Since launch, Kahoot! has hosted hundreds of millions of learning sessions with over 10 billion participants (non-unique) in more than 200 countries and regions. The Kahoot! Group includes Clever, the leading US K-12 EdTech learning platform, together with the learning apps DragonBox, Poio, Drops, Actimo, Motimate, and Whiteboard.fi. The Kahoot! Group is headquartered in Oslo, Norway with offices in the US, the UK, France, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Spain and Poland. To learn more, visit us at kahoot.com. Let’s play!
About Private Equity at Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) is one of the leading investors in alternatives globally, with over $450 billion in assets and more than 30 years of experience. The business invests in the full spectrum of alternatives including private equity, growth equity, private credit, real estate, infrastructure and sustainability. Clients access these solutions through direct strategies, customized partnerships, and open-architecture programs.
The business is driven by a focus on partnership and shared success with its clients, seeking to deliver long-term investment performance drawing on its global network and deep expertise across industries and markets.
The alternative investments platform is part of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which delivers investment and advisory services across public and private markets for the world’s leading institutions, financial advisors and individuals. Goldman Sachs has over $2.8 trillion in assets under supervision globally as of September 30, 2023.
Established in 1986, Private Equity at Goldman Sachs Asset Management has invested over $75 billion since inception. The business combines a global network of relationships, unique insight across markets, industries and regions, and the worldwide resources of Goldman Sachs to build businesses and accelerate value creation across its portfolios.
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