Benesse
Benesse Corporation is a Japanese company which focuses on correspondence education and publishing. Based in Okayama, it is the parent company of Berlitz Language Schools, which in turn is the parent company of ELS Language Centers. Benesse is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
The company name is derived from the Latin words "bene" and "esse".
History
The company was founded in 1955 as Fukutake Publishing Co., Ltd. by Tetsuhiko Fukutake, a publisher of educational materials. In 1986, Soichiro Fukutake succeeded his father as president on the latter's death. His son Hideaki Fukutake is a company director.In 1994, the company completed the construction of the Fukutake Shoten Tokyo Building in Tama, Tokyo. In April 1995, the company was renamed Benesse Corporation.
A major breakthrough in the company's history was the acquisition of a majority stake in Berlitz Language Schools, which had gone public in 1989. In 2001, Benesse completed the take-over by acquiring 100% ownership of Berlitz and making it a private company once again.
In 2023, Swedish private equity firm EQT AB together with Benesse's founding family announced their intention to buy the company and take it private in a deal valued at billion. On March 3, 2024, it was announced that EFU Investments Ltd. and a fund managed by BPEA EQT completed the purchase of a 70.1% stake in Benesse.