CPR Asset Management has launched an education-themed fund that actively invests in companies providing services and equipment in adult, children and life-long learning markets.
CPR, which is own by Amundi, said the CPR Invest-Education Fund is the first to be dedicated to the education theme.
The fund will be managed by Guillaume Uettwiller and invest in childcare centres, universities, colleges and recruitment companies, educational supplies and real estate, among other sectors.
Spending in the global education market will double within 15 years to reach $10 trillion, the firm said.
“EdTech” and tools involved in publishing and academic content production are also targets for investment. The education market is currently only 2% digital, according to the firm.
CPR said 19% of the companies that make up the fund’s investment universe were not listed until 2015, which reflects growth in the theme.
Drivers for education include an increase in the world’s student population partly driven by a growing middle class in emerging countries. Also, there is more need to keep workers up-to-date and avoid skill deficits, and this has led to opportunities in lifelong training and career development.
Uettwiller said: “Education is one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and is high on the agenda for policymakers and investors. The growing world population and a concerted effort by governments to focus on education means there are already many ways to get exposure, and these are set to multiply.”
The fund is now registered in France and the UK, and will soon be registered in Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Finland and Switzerland.
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