DGKV is delighted to share that our Partner Omourtag Petkov and Senior Associate Ivan Punev advised Maple Bear for €100 million investment program for the region. Ivan Punev was the team leader on this project for a fantastic milestone with a €100 million investment partnering with Vantage Capital to expand Maple Bear Franchise Network. Four years after entering Central & Eastern Europe, Maple Bear is partnering with Vantage Capital in a €100 million investment program for the region.

Maple Bear is a premium brand and offers full Canadian bilingual teaching methodologies and strategies, utilizing Canadian and local curriculums in full conformity with local education regulations. There are currently more than 570 Maple Bear Early Childhood, Elementary and High School franchises in more than 30 countries.

In Central & Eastern Europe, Maple Bear has currently 10 schools, operational or in implementation in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, and Ukraine and is planning an additional 200 new schools in 22 countries over the next decade, thanks to its partnership with Vantage Capital.

This partnership with Vantage Capital Fund Managers (Pty) Ltd gives them the financial firepower to achieve their ambitious growth targets to build a school network of over 200 schools in the region.

The Vantage investment program in Maple Bear Central & Eastern Europe has four components:

-       The capitalization of Maple Bear Polska which plans to open more than 40 schools;

-       The capitalization of Maple Bear Czech Republic which will target more than 20 schools;

-       An equity investment into the Regional head office to strengthen the quality of the education support offered to Maple Bear School owners, teachers, and children;

-       A real estate funding program to enable Maple Bear school owners to build large, flagship K12 schools in prime locations.

The partnership with VANTAGE will accelerate the deployment of the Maple Bear schools and kindergartens in the region, attracting serious investors in the franchised Maple Bear school network.