DLA Piper advises Læringsverkstedet Gruppen AS on Pilke päiväkodit acquisition

DLA Piper has advised Læringsverkstedet on the acquisition of the Finnish preschool operator Pilke päiväkodit from Korona Invest. The transaction is scheduled to close by the end of the year.

Pilke päiväkodit offers early childhood education to over 10,000 children in 150 kindergartens in Finland and has more than 2,000 employees. Pilke päiväkodit provides also after-school club and child home care services.

Læringsverkstedet is the largest and most renowned private early childhood education provider in the Nordics and operates in Norway, Sweden, Germany, Latvia and Dubai. The family business was founded and is owned by two early childhood educators and invests, in particular, in the development of children's individual wellbeing and social values and in the continuous professional growth of its personnel.

Korona Invest, the Finnish private equity investor, has been Pilke päiväkodit’s main owner since 2012. During Korona Invest's ownership, Pilke päiväkodit has invested more than EUR100 million in the development of Finnish early childhood education.

The DLA Piper Helsinki-based Corporate team was led by partner Ilkka Liljeroos and included senior associate Antti Eeva, partners Tuija Kaijalainen and Mika Oinonen, counsel Mikko Luukkonen, senior associate Joona Haapamäki and associates Laura Järvelä, Tuukka Toropainen, Petteri Larnimaa, Julius Malka, Juulia Järvilehto, Henri Almgren and Auriina Holck.