CI Capital Holding for Financial Investments (CICH.CA) (“CI Capital”), the leading diversified financial services group, has announced the successful sale of its investment in Taaleem Management Services (TALM.CA) (“Taaleem”), after a five-year holding period.
The exit delivered exceptional returns, generating four and a half times the equity invested and achieving an Internal Rate of Return (“IRR”) of approximately 50%.
During its tenure, CI Capital played a pivotal role in Taaleem’s transformative growth, cementing its reputation as a leader in higher education. Under the strategic guidance and chairmanship of CI Capital, Taaleem achieved several remarkable milestones, including:
Nearly 4x growth in EBITDA, reflecting significant scaling up of the business as well as improvements in operational efficiency
Growth of total enrolled students from 5,398 to 12,251, as well as the significant expansion of student capacity reaching 23,000. This was achieved by increasing student intake across our legacy faculties, as well as the addition of multiple new faculties, enabling more aspiring students to access high-quality education, and broadening the academic offerings while catering to the evolving demands of modern education.
The successful launch of the state-of-the-art Badya University, in partnership with Palm Hills Developments in West Cairo, and the imminent inauguration of Memphis University in East Cairo, extending the institution’s footprint and mission of delivering world-class education to more communities.
CI Capital’s vision and hands-on approach were instrumental in driving this unprecedented growth and ensuring the sustainability of Taaleem’s impact.
“We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved with Taaleem over the past five years. Our partnership has not only delivered strong financial returns but also enabled Taaleem to transform into a leading multi-asset higher education platform. By expanding capacity, launching new faculties, and establishing new universities, we have supported the aspirations of thousands of students and strengthened the foundation for future growth. This outcome underscores our commitment to creating long-term value for both our investors and the communities we serve,” stated CI Capital’s Group CEO, Hesham Gohar.
“CI Capital extends its sincere gratitude and appreciation to Taaleem’s executive management team and all our partners for their contributions to our prosperous journey. Together with Taaleem’s incredible team and the support of our partners, CI Capital has been able to position Taaleem as a leading provider of higher education services in Egypt”, added Gohar.
This successful exit marks another milestone for CI Capital as it continues to drive impactful investments across a wide variety of promising sectors. CI Capital (alongside its co-investors) acquired a 60% stake in Taaleem in 2019, embarking on a mission to drive growth and enhance the university’s impact. Demonstrating its expertise and commitment, CI Capital led the IPO of 49% of Taaleem on the Egyptian Stock Exchange in April 2021. The IPO, which generated significant international demand, marked a key milestone in Taaleem’s evolution.
About CI Capital Holding for Financial Investments
CI Capital Holding for Financial Investments is a diversified financial services group and Egypt’s leading leasing, microfinance, mortgage finance, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services provider. Through its headquarters in Cairo and presence in New York and Dubai, CI Capital Holding for Financial Investments offers a wide range of financial solutions to a diversified client base that includes global and regional institutions and family offices, large corporates, SMEs, and high-net-worth and individual investors. CI Capital Holding for Financial Investments leverages its full-fledged investment banking platform to provide market-leading capital raising and M&A advisory, asset management, securities brokerage, custody, and research. Through its subsidiary Corplease, CI Capital offers comprehensive leasing solutions, including finance, operating leases, and sale and leaseback, serving various corporate clients and SMEs. In addition, CI Capital Holding for Financial Investments offers microfinance lending through Egypt’s first licensed MFI, Reefy. The group has over 3500 employees and is led by a team of professionals who are among the most experienced in the industry, with complementary backgrounds and skill sets and a deep understanding of market dynamics.
