Osborne Clarke advises shareholders of EdTech specialist Wordwall on a significant investment from Queen's Park Equity

International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised the shareholders of Wordwall, a leading provider of interactive learning tools for educators, on a significant investment from Queen’s Park Equity (QPE), a provider of capital to the Education, Health & Pharma and Tech Services sectors.

Founded in the UK in 2006, Wordwall has transformed the way educators create and deliver interactive learning content, with its platform now used by millions of teachers and students worldwide. The investment from QPE will enable Wordwall to scale operations, invest in cutting-edge technology (including further integration of AI), and strengthen its market position as a global leader in digital education.

Wordwall is also making key leadership appointments: Melissa Esmundo will join as Chief Executive Officer, Greg Watson as Non-Executive Chair, and Joe Holland as Non-Executive Director. These appointments bring a wealth of experience and strategic insight to drive the company’s continued success.

Wordwall is the twelfth partnership investment from Queen’s Park Equity Fund I, which was oversubscribed and closed at its hard cap of £202m in December 2020 and last year delivered its inaugural exit at 7.6x MMx through the sale of Encore.

Founders Ben Watson and Josh Smith, built Wordwall into an industry leader. Commenting on Osborne Clarke's support, Josh said: “James Taylor and his team at Osborne Clarke gave great counsel and worked assiduously to bring the transaction to a close. They were attentive to the legal detail and risk, while also practical and commercial in their instincts. As entrepreneurs engaged in our first M&A transaction, we could not have asked for a better guiding hand" says Josh Smith, co-founder of Wordwall."

James Taylor commented: "It has been a pleasure to work with Ben and Josh on this transaction and I look forward to seeing the continued growth of Wordwall as it begins an exciting new chapter of its journey. Congratulations also to QPE, Melissa and everyone else who has worked to make this successful deal happen."

Osborne Clarke's team was led by corporate Partner James Taylor and included Associate Director William Nicholson, Senior Associate Kamila Bochenek and Associate Matt Mayes. Additional support was provided by a multi-disciplinary team including Partner Mathew Oliver and Senior Associate Holly Danman (Tax), Associate Director Lara Fatemi and Associate Maeve Gillespie (employment) and Associate Director Marie-Claire Day (commercial).

Osborne Clarke's corporate team is a go-to practice for companies in the technology, media and communication sector. Its clients range from global businesses to fast-growth start-ups and market challengers. The team advises at every stage of company development across all corporate issues, from equity and debt fundraisings to M&A, IPOs and JVs.