Symplicity Acquires Contratanet

Leading global career services platforms merge to expand world-class services to higher education institutions and employers in Brazil

ARLINGTON, Va.--()--Symplicity Corporation, the global leader of student employability solutions and an H.I.G. Capital portfolio company, has announced the acquisition of Contratanet, the largest integrated network of career portals for jobs and internships in Brazil. With the acquisition, Symplicity strengthens its operations in the country, offering local support and services and a more expansive employer network to universities.

Symplicity has more than 20 years of experience in international markets, partnering with institutions and employers to build employability strategies for higher education students, and supporting career offices and university departments. More than 1,300 universities use its career service platform in more than 30 countries, including Brazil. Through its partnership with Grupo A Educação, an educational holding company with more than 40 years of experience in the Brazilian market, Symplicity provides local services and support throughout the country.

A market leader in career services technology in Brazil, Contratanet has an active network of more than 1,000 universities, 150,000 employers and more than 4 million candidates. Headquartered in Belo Horizonte (MG), it offers a portal that connects educational institutions, companies and candidates, bringing opportunities and students closer together, as well as facilitating the dissemination and management of recruitment processes.

“This acquisition will not only enhance and significantly expand our global network of candidates and employers—it will also ensure that we are supporting the unique needs of our university clients in Brazil, with in-region client support and strategic services from two of the most experienced career services providers in the industry,” said Matthew Small, Symplicity President and CEO.

"In Grupo A, we are always looking for innovative and efficient educational solutions for our clients. The partnership with Symplicity last year filled a fundamental gap in our portfolio regarding employability and career building for higher education students. The acquisition of Contratanet adds a solid local operation designed from specific demands of the Brazilian market to Symplicity’s expertise,” said Rodrigo Madeira, Grupo A’s New Business Manager. "Our biggest goal as a company is to be the best partner for Brazilian universities. Today we feel more complete and ready to help them prepare and refer their students to the labor market.”

According to Rodrigo Harlley, CEO and Founder of Contratanet, the company's objective in merging with Symplicity is to offer Brazilian students best practices in career development and employability consistent with the best practices of top universities around the world. “We believe that the current career vision must be global, and that Brazilian educational institutions will have a stronger partner with even more comprehensive solutions and the necessary expertise to deliver the best employability services to their students and alumni.”

"We are excited to bring onboard the valuable expertise of the Contratanet team, reinforcing our market leadership in providing the most expansive network of candidates and employers,” said Small.

About Symplicity Corporation – The student employability company

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Arlington, VA, Symplicity sells SaaS-based student employability solutions to over 1,300 universities. Hundreds of thousands of employers utilize the Company’s on-campus recruiting software to leverage the largest global higher education job network and recruit students and alumni for entry-level jobs. For more information, visit www.symplicity.com.

About Contratanet – Connections that transform lives

Contratanet is the largest integrated network of job portals for jobs and internships in Brazil. Our technology connects higher education institutions, companies, candidates and portal partners to bring together quality opportunities and professionals. To learn more, visit https://www.contratanet.com.br/.

About Grupo A – With more than 40 years of excellence and tradition, Grupo A brings together a large business portfolio focused on the education universe, integrating content, technology and services. Associated with international leaders in its segments, such as Symplicity, Blackboard and McGraw-Hill, Grupo A is a source of highly customized educational solutions for educational institutions, companies and their audiences. For more information, visit www.grupoa.com.br/.

About H.I.G. Capital

H.I.G. is a leading global private equity and alternative assets investment firm with $25 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/ value-added approach. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com.

* Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates.

Contacts

Symplicity Corporation
Victoria Chapa
Director of Marketing and Communications
703-351-0200 x7208
vchapa@symplicity.com

Contacts

Symplicity Corporation
Victoria Chapa
Director of Marketing and Communications
703-351-0200 x7208
vchapa@symplicity.com