ISALT & RAISE take majority stake in PEARLTREES
Context
Isalt and Raise Impact have entered into an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Pearltrees, a leading French educational software publisher. The transaction involves the acquisition of 77% of the company's capital, split between Isalt's Strategic Transition Fund, which will hold 46%, and Raise Impact II, which will take a 31% stake. The five co-founders of Pearltrees will collectively retain the remaining equity and continue to be fully involved in the company's development. This deal enables the complete exit of the company's historical financial shareholders, comprising primarily business angels and family offices that have been invested since the early stages of development. The transaction is complemented by a bank financing package to support the acquisition and future growth initiatives. The investment is driven by several strategic factors, including Pearltrees' strong position in the digital education market, the widespread adoption of its platform in French schools, and its ability to develop proprietary technologies tailored to the education sector's needs. The company also benefits from a unique value proposition centered around digital sovereignty and the application of artificial intelligence in education. The post-acquisition roadmap aims to accelerate technological investments, particularly in the development of agent-based artificial intelligence features for teachers.
PEARLTREES, which reported an EBITDA margin of in 2026, is valued in this transaction at an EV/EBITDA multiple of , a level to compare with the average currently observed in the Retail & Consumer sector (11.0x).
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Target
Pearltrees is a French educational software publisher specializing in digital solutions for secondary schools. Founded in 2007, the company has developed a collaborative platform that enables teachers to create, organize, and share interactive educational resources through a structured content system called "pearls." This approach streamlines the design of customized lessons, access to educational resources, and tracking of student progress within a unified digital environment. Over the years, Pearltrees has established itself as a leading player in the French EdTech sector. Its platform is currently used by approximately 1.5 million students and teachers and is deployed in over 2,000 schools. The company also claims a strong presence in the secondary education sector, where its solutions are integrated into the daily routines of a significant proportion of teachers and students.
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REFERENCES
Valuation range: EV 50M - 150M EUR
Revenue range: 5M - 25M EUR
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Authors: This transaction was contributed by a verified mynth contributor and cross-checked against available transaction documents and official company communications.
Target: pearltrees