3 Family Offices Investing in Education

As various industries continue to gain traction from family offices, we continue to shine a light on the alternative wealth space and private capital markets by providing detailed analysis with regard to the past investment history of these private wealth groups. In utilizing the FINTRX platform, which provides intel into thousands of direct deal transactions made by nearly 3,000 family offices worldwide, we explore three family offices directly investing in the education industry. 

1. Smith Family Circle (Will Smith Family Office)

Smith Family Circle (Will Smith Family Office) is a Calabasas, CA-based single-family office managing the wealth and business ventures of Will Smith and his family. With an estimated net worth of $250M, Will Smith is a renowned actor, musician, comedian, producer, and media personality. Throughout his impressive career, Mr. Smith has been nominated for two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, and is the recipient of three Grammy Awards. Smith Family Circle provides a range of personal and financial services including risk management, business strategies, capital formation, and capital allocation. The firm's main focus is on venture capital, life science, and direct investments. Sectors and industries of interest include media, sports, entertainment, education, consumer goods, healthcare, retail, cosmetics, technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, medical, health and wellness, business services, transportation, and science - among others. Smith Family Circle primarily invests in Seed and Series A financing, with a preference for companies in their first or second year of existence.

In March of 2015, the firm directly invested in Age of Learning, an education technology innovator based in Glendale, California. This privately held company develops E-learning technology to help children build a strong academic foundation for lifelong success. In February of 2013 and July of 2017, Smith Family Circle directly invested in Tuition.io Inc., an American company enabling other companies to provide employer-paid student loan contributions as an employee benefit. Smith Family Circle has made investments in companies such as Uber, One Inc., The Black Tux, Mattermost, Modern Meadow, Just Water, Fancy, G-Ro, Barefoot Scientist, Away, Bio Beats, Chromatik, Domo Technologies, and Double Robotics - among others. The firm also invests in professional sports teams including the Philadelphia 76ers and AS Roma. 

2. Michael Grabner Media (Grabner Family Office)

Established in 2007, Michael Grabner Media (Grabner Family Office) is a Vienna, Austria-based single-family office managing the wealth of Michael Grabner, a prominent Austrian entrepreneur. Grabner created his wealth through a notable career in the media and publishing industries in addition to a series of individual investments. Michael Grabner Media firm considers itself an impact investor and targets portfolio companies with a well-balanced, socially responsible atmosphere.

The firm makes a number of investments in the Austrian and international media sectors. Additional industries of interest include education, software, E-commerce, travel, healthcare, technology, real estate, retail, and manufacturing - among others. In June of 2015, Michael Grabner Media directly invested in Studydrive, an E-learning company based in Berlin, Germany. The firm will co-invest alongside other like-minded family offices or private investors. Particular countries of interest include Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. 

3. LAFAM Holding

Founded in 2010, LAFAM Holding is a Neustadt, Germany-based single-family office managing the wealth and serving as the direct investment arm for the Lang family. The firm's patriarch, Günter Lang, created his wealth through a series of business ventures throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. Lang established LAFAM Holding to serve as his private family office and investment company. Today, the firm invests in a range of opportunities primarily throughout the private equity landscape. LAFAM particularly focuses on early-stage and mid-market companies and primarily operates throughout the education, software, robotics, and technical services industries.

In May of 2017, LAFAM directly invested in Studybees GmbH, a Mannheim, Deutschland-based E-learning platform that creates personalized learning paths for university students. When investing, LAFAM Holdings regularly deploys long-term capital in an effort to expand the strategic development of its portfolio companies. The firm considers all strategies on an opportunistic basis and regularly invests alongside other LP's and family offices. 

Continue exploring complete profiles of nearly 3,000 family offices around the world by harnessing high-level data exploration tools designed to radically enhance your capital raising efforts. 

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