Humly, a tech-focused education staffing company based in Sweden, announced it has acquired M2 Education Ltd, an education staffing firm based in the North West and North East of England.

Financial details were not disclosed.

M2 Education was launched in 2009. The group places teachers, teaching assistants, and tutors on a permanent and temporary basis into primary, secondary and Special Education Needsestablishments. In terms of geography, the business focuses on three regions, Newcastle, Cumbria and Lancashire.

Mark Birnie and Melissa Kumar founded M2. The business will be run, day to day, by its existing experienced management team, working in close collaboration with Humly. The founders will remain with the business for a defined handover period prior to their exit.

Humly, founded in 2015, describes itself as a digital marketplace of supply teachers. The group helps schools access skilled and qualified teachers and teaching assistants utilising an automated platform.

For Humly, the transaction marks its fifth UK acquisition as it strengthens its position in the education recruitment sector.

As a result of the acquisition, Humly will overlay its technology into M2 Education’s operations to serve existing and new clients to enhance overall user experience and increase efficiencies for both education establishments and candidates.

Humly CEO Gustav Bild-Tofftin said, “M2 was a strategic choice for us. Their well-established presence in both the North West and the North East of England, combined with their reputation as a well-run, quality-driven business, makes them a perfect fit for our ethos”.

“When entering the UK market two years ago, we sought companies that shared our vision and had a robust foothold in strategic regions,” Bild-Tofftin added. “This acquisition, our fifth in a series of successful mergers, sets the stage for remarkable success, bringing our innovative solutions to even more schools, nurseries, and educators.”

Alex Shanks, Head of M&A at Humly, said, “M2 is not just a solid business; it’s a dynamic entity that continues to evolve and adapt in the ever-changing educational landscape. Humly has a proven M&A strategy through four acquisitions in the UK to date, with a presence in many regional markets. M2 fits the acquisition strategy perfectly with their locations, teams, and culture.”

Birnie and Kumar said in a joint statement, “We believe we have found the perfect match with Humly! Not only are we very culturally aligned, Humly has all the expertise and knowledge of technology in the education recruitment market that will work in synergy with M2’s well-established reputation to ensure an even more successful and efficient business where clients and candidates are at the forefront of everything we do.”

“The future is very bright, as the world moves forward with technology, we will take the education recruitment industry to the next level with service, speed, and quality. We are excited to see M2 Education grow and the opportunities this brings to our staff to develop themselves further,” Birnie and Kumar said.

Advising the founders on the sale of M2 Education was Newcastle-based RG Corporate Finance. Legal advice was provided by Swinburne Maddison LLP, with tax advice from MHA Moor and Smalley. Financial Due Diligence was undertaken on behalf of Humly by BDO with legal advice from White & Black Solicitors.