The new deal expands the private equity’s range in Knowledge Industries

Leeds Equity Partners has acquired VitalSmarts from TwentyEighty.

Vital Smarts is a provider of communication, execution, and, leadership development training.

Leeds Equity Partners is a New York-based private equity shop that invests primarily in Knowledge Industries. The Vital Smarts purchase is the private equity shop’s ninth purchase.

Leeds Equity Partners Discusses Its Strategy

“Companies increasingly appreciate the importance of creating and fostering cultures that drive performance,” said Scott VanHoy, Partner of Leeds Equity Partners. “Communication, execution, and leadership skills need to be taught and practiced. VitalSmarts is the gold standard in training employees with these critical, 21st-century foundational skills such as resolving disagreements, building acceptance and overcoming resistance, speaking persuasively, and fostering teamwork.”

Leed Equity has made several investments in areas like workplace solutions, professional training, and the certification sector. Their purchases include:

• BARBRI, a legal education provider;
• CeriFi, a provider of education and licensure solutions to financial institutions;
• LRN, a provider of ethics and compliance education, learning technology, and data analytics to Fortune 2000 companies;
• Prosci, a provider of change management training and solutions;
• Scaled Agile, the provider of SAF, a global framework for enterprise agility; and,
• Simplify Compliance, a provider of workforce information solutions, and training for human resources and healthcare professionals.

In its 25-year history, Leeds has invested deployed more than $2.7 billion into Knowledge Industries. For more news on private equity deals, check out this article.