
Sdui Group Secures Strategic Investment to Accelerate Its Mission to Become the Operating System for European Schools
Founded in 2018 in Germany, Sdui Group provides a fully integrated suite that supports schools across administrative needs from communication, attendance, scheduling, grading, and more. Today, Sdui Group serves thousands of institutions across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Spain, and is continuing to expand into new regions. Its modern, modular software is trusted by individual schools, districts, and governments to streamline operations. Sdui Group's suite improves the experience for all stakeholders – teachers, students, administrators, and parents – and gives back valuable time to focus on teaching and learning.
As European school systems face rising complexity, increased digital expectations, and expanding public support and funding for education technology, institutions are looking for modern, reliable platforms that simplify their daily workflows. With a user-first approach and scalable, compliant cloud architecture, Sdui Group is well-positioned to lead this shift.
'This is a moment of transformation for education in Europe,' said James Stevens, a Partner in Bain Capital's Tech Opportunities business. 'Sdui Group is emerging as a trusted and capable partner to help schools navigate that change. Daniel and his team have built a modern, intuitive platform that directly addresses the daily challenges of school administration. We're excited to support their continued growth and impact across the region.'
Sdui Group has already built strong momentum through both organic growth and acquisitions. The company has successfully integrated several regional software players, expanded its capabilities, and continues to invest in innovation, reliability, and user experience.
'Bain Capital's approach is unique – they combine strategic vision with real operational support,' said Daniel Zacharias, Founder and CEO of Sdui Group. 'They've taken the time to truly understand our mission and the realities schools face every day. With their support – and the continued backing of HV and HTGF – we're accelerating our work to build the digital backbone of European schools.'
'We've been proud to back Daniel and Sdui Group since the early days and are thrilled to continue supporting this next phase of growth,' said Felix Klühr, Partner at HV Capital. 'Bain Capital's experience scaling software companies globally makes them a valuable addition to the partnership.'
– END –
About Sdui Group
Founded in Germany in 2018, the Sdui Group has developed into a leading provider of cloud-based software that enables digital communication and administration for schools and educational institutions across Europe. As a reliable partner, Sdui Group supports individual institutions, governments and ministries in their digitalisation effort, and develops innovative cloud-based solutions for schools and preschools.
Sdui Group's suite of tools supports messaging, attendance, scheduling, grading, and more—making everyday school workflows simpler, more secure, and more effective. The company is based in Koblenz, Germany and currently employs around 230 people based in several European countries.
About Bain Capital
Founded in 1984, Bain Capital is one of the world's leading private investment firms. We are committed to creating lasting impact for our investors, teams, businesses, and the communities in which we live. As a private partnership, we lead with conviction and a culture of collaboration, advantages that enable us to innovate investment approaches, unlock opportunities, and create exceptional outcomes. Our global platform invests across five focus areas: Private Equity, Growth & Venture, Capital Solutions, Credit & Capital Markets, and Real Assets. In these focus areas, we bring deep sector expertise and wide-ranging capabilities. We have 24 offices on four continents, more than 1,850 employees, and approximately $185 billion in assets under management. To learn more, visit www.baincapital.com. Follow @BainCapital on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).
Bain Capital's Tech Opportunities business (www.baincapitaltechopportunities.com) aims to help growing technology companies reach their full potential. We focus on companies in large, growing end markets with innovative or disruptive technology where we believe we can support transformational growth. Our dedicated, tenured team has deep experience supporting growing technology businesses—bringing together differentiated backgrounds in private and public equity investing as well as technology operating roles. We invest behind fundamental long-term tailwinds as technology penetrates across industries, creating a large and growing number of investment opportunities.
About HV Capital
HV Capital is one of the leading early-stage and growth investors in Europe. With nine fund generations in 25 years and €2.8 bn in managed assets, HV Capital is one of the continent's most active investors. The investment team has many years of experience in identifying European startups with great potential for success. In addition to international success stories like Flix, Zalando, Delivery Hero, Sumup, and Depop, innovation leaders such as Quantum Systems, Marvel Fusion, Sennder, Neura Robotics, Enpal, and Isar Aerospace are also part of the portfolio. HV Capital has invested in more than 250 internet and technology companies, supporting startups with ticket sizes ranging from €0.5m to €60m. It is one of Europe's few venture capital firms that can finance startups through all growth phases. HV Capital has a team of more than 60+ investment and operations professionals who provide a variety of perspectives and expertise across the venture capital landscape (www.hvcapital.com).
About High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF)
HTGF is one of the leading and most active early-stage investors in Germany and Europe, financing startups in the fields of Deep Tech, Industrial Tech, Climate Tech, Digital Tech, Life Sciences and Chemistry. With its experienced investment team, HTGF supports startups in all phases of their development into international market leaders. HTGF invests in the pre-seed and seed phase and can participate significantly in further financing rounds, since 2024 with the HTGF Opportunity growth fund. HTGF has a fund volume of over 2 billion euros. Since its inception in 2005, HTGF has financed more than 780 startups and successfully sold shares in almost 200 companies.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, KfW Capital and numerous companies are invested in the HTGF seed funds. Investors in the HTGF Opportunity growth fund include the ERP Special Fund and KfW with the resources of the Zukunftsfonds ('Future Fund'). Further information can be found at HTGF.de or on LinkedIn and on the Zukunftsfonds page.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

37 minutes ago
Air Canada suspends operations as flight attendants go on strike
TORONTO -- Air Canada suspended all operations as more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike early Saturday after a deadline to reach a deal passed, leaving travelers around the world stranded and scrambling during the peak summer travel season. Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesman Hugh Pouliot confirmed the strike has started after no deal was reached, and the airline said shortly after that it would halt operations. A bitter contract fight between Canada's largest airline and the union representing 10,000 of its flight attendants escalated Friday as the union turned down the airline's request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which would eliminate its right to strike and allow a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract. Flight attendants walked off the job around 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada said it would begin locking flight attendants out of airports. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met with both the airline and union on Friday night and urged them to work harder to them to reach a deal 'once and for all." 'It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts,' Hajdu said in a statement posted on social media. Pouliot, the spokesman for the union, earlier said the union had a meeting with Hajdu and representatives from Air Canada earlier Friday evening. 'CUPE has engaged with the mediator to relay our willingness to continue bargaining — despite the fact that Air Canada has not countered our last two offers since Tuesday,' he said in a email. 'We're here to bargain a deal, not to go on strike.' A complete shutdown will impact about 130,000 people a day, and some 25,000 Canadians a day may be stranded abroad. Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day. Montreal resident Alex Laroche, 21, and his girlfriend had been saving since Christmas for their European vacation. Now their $8,000 trip with nonrefundable lodging is on the line as they wait to hear from Air Canada about the fate of their Saturday night flight to Nice, France. How long the airline's planes will be grounded remains to be seen, but Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr has said it could take up to a week to fully restart operations once a tentative deal is reached. Passengers whose travel is impacted will be eligible to request a full refund on the airline's website or mobile app, according to Air Canada. The airline said it would also offer alternative travel options through other Canadian and foreign airlines when possible. But it warned that it could not guarantee immediate rebooking because flights on other airlines are already full 'due to the summer travel peak.' Laroche said he considered booking new flights with a different carrier, but he said most of them are nearly full and cost more than double the $3,000 they paid for their original tickets. 'At this point, it's just a waiting game,' he said. Laroche said he was initially upset over the union's decision to go on strike, but that he had a change of heart after reading about the key issues at the center of the contract negotiations, including the issue of wages. 'Their wage is barely livable,' Laroche said. Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a tentative deal. Both sides say they remain far apart on the issue of pay and the unpaid work flight attendants do when planes aren't in the air. The airline's latest offer included a 38% increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions over four years, that it said 'would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada.' But the union pushed back, saying the proposed 8% raise in the first year didn't go far enough because of inflation. ___


NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
Air Canada suspends all operations as flight attendants go on strike
TORONTO — Air Canada suspended all operations as more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike early Saturday after a deadline to reach a deal passed, leaving travelers around the world stranded and scrambling during the peak summer travel season. Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesman Hugh Pouliot confirmed the strike has started after no deal was reached, and the airline said shortly after that it would halt operations. A bitter contract fight between Canada's largest airline and the union representing 10,000 of its flight attendants escalated Friday as the union turned down the airline's request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which would eliminate its right to strike and allow a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract. Flight attendants walk off the job Flight attendants walked off the job around 1 a.m. ET on Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada said it would begin locking flight attendants out of airports. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met with both the airline and union on Friday night and urged them to work harder to them to reach a deal 'once and for all.' 'It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts,' Hajdu said in a statement posted on social media. Pouliot, the spokesman for the union, earlier said the union had a meeting with Hajdu and representatives from Air Canada earlier Friday evening. 'CUPE has engaged with the mediator to relay our willingness to continue bargaining — despite the fact that Air Canada has not countered our last two offers since Tuesday,' he said in a email. 'We're here to bargain a deal, not to go on strike.' Travelers are in limbo A complete shutdown will impact about 130,000 people a day, and some 25,000 Canadians a day may be stranded abroad. Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day. Montreal resident Alex Laroche, 21, and his girlfriend had been saving since Christmas for their European vacation. Now their $8,000 trip with nonrefundable lodging is on the line as they wait to hear from Air Canada about the fate of their Saturday night flight to Nice, France. How long the airline's planes will be grounded remains to be seen, but Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr has said it could take up to a week to fully restart operations once a tentative deal is reached. Passengers whose travel is impacted will be eligible to request a full refund on the airline's website or mobile app, according to Air Canada. The airline said it would also offer alternative travel options through other Canadian and foreign airlines when possible. But it warned that it could not guarantee immediate rebooking because flights on other airlines are already full 'due to the summer travel peak.' Laroche said he considered booking new flights with a different carrier, but he said most of them are nearly full and cost more than double the $3,000 they paid for their original tickets. 'At this point, it's just a waiting game,' he said. Laroche said he was initially upset over the union's decision to go on strike, but that he had a change of heart after reading about the key issues at the center of the contract negotiations, including the issue of wages. 'Their wage is barely livable,' Laroche said. Sides say they're far apart on pay Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a tentative deal. Both sides say they remain far apart on the issue of pay and the unpaid work flight attendants do when planes aren't in the air. The airline's latest offer included a 38% increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions over four years, that it said 'would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada.' But the union pushed back, saying the proposed 8% raise in the first year didn't go far enough because of inflation.


Business Insider
3 hours ago
- Business Insider
Why Netflix's (NFLX) 85% Rally Isn't Done Yet
Over the past year, Netflix (NFLX) shares have appreciated 82%, prompting the question of whether further upside remains. The company's performance has been supported by a robust content pipeline, rapid expansion of its advertising business, and strategic deployment of generative AI capabilities. In addition, Netflix is generating substantial free cash flow, benefiting from economies of scale and the early success of its high-margin advertising tier. Given the stock's current valuation, the key consideration for investors is whether the growth trajectory justifies continued investment. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Momentum That Just Won't Quit Netflix delivered a strong second quarter, reporting revenue of $11.08 billion, up 16% year-over-year and slightly ahead of Wall Street's $11.07 billion consensus. Growth was driven by continued member acquisition, higher subscription pricing, and rapid expansion of the advertising business. While the company no longer discloses exact subscriber counts, management noted that membership growth accelerated late in the quarter, particularly in international markets, supported by anticipated releases such as the Squid Game and Stranger Things season finales. The advertising segment remains a key growth driver, with revenue on pace to double in 2025. This momentum is supported by the full deployment of Netflix's proprietary ad tech platform, which streamlines media buying for brands. The introduction of a redesigned user interface—now implemented on 50% of TV devices—has improved content discovery and engagement, increasing both viewing time and advertiser appeal. Content continues to be a strategic differentiator. Netflix is investing heavily in globally resonant titles, including Alice in Borderland and the upcoming Happy Gilmore 2. Its partnership with France's TF1 is expected to strengthen local content production, particularly in the European market. The company's gaming initiative is also gaining traction, with early success from cult-classic titles such as Grand Theft Auto enhancing platform stickiness. Overall, Netflix continues to demonstrate the ability to drive growth and innovation, even at a more mature stage of its business lifecycle. Turning into a Cash Flow Powerhouse Turning to profitability—particularly free cash flow—Netflix generated $2.3 billion in Q2, representing a 91% year-over-year increase. Management also raised its full-year FCF guidance to $8.0–$8.5 billion. This level of cash generation reflects the benefits of significant economies of scale. With more than 300 million paid memberships globally, the cost to serve each subscriber declines as the base expands, enabling a greater share of revenue to translate into earnings. While content amortization is projected to exceed $16 billion in 2025, robust subscriber growth helps distribute these costs more efficiently. The advertising segment is further enhancing cash flow, as incremental ad revenue carries minimal associated costs once the global ad tech platform is in place. Each additional advertising dollar contributes disproportionately to profitability. Operational efficiency gains from generative AI—such as accelerating and reducing the cost of visual effects—are also supporting margin expansion. These factors allowed Q2 operating margins to reach 34.1%, an improvement of nearly seven percentage points compared with the prior year, while still enabling sustained investment in premium content. Is the Price Tag Worth It? Now, at 45x this year's expected EPS, Netflix's isn't a bargain, as the company is trading at a steep premium compared to the broader market. But then again, Netflix's dominance makes it hard to call it overpriced. Over the years, they've faced heavyweights like Apple (AAPL), Disney (DIS), and Amazon (AMZN), who've dumped billions into streaming to chip away at Netflix's lead. Yet, Netflix keeps growing like a weed, with revenue up double-digits quarter after quarter and EPS expected to climb at least 20% per year for the foreseeable future. And while Disney and Amazon have gained ground, Netflix's global reach, brand loyalty, and content machine keep it ahead. Their 'local for local' strategy, which revolves around producing hits in markets like Japan, Korea, and now France via TF1, gives them an edge no one can match. What is the 12-Month Forecast for NFLX stock? There are 38 analysts offering price targets on NFLX stock via TipRanks, with a fairly bullish consensus. Today, the stock carries a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 26 Buy, 11 Hold, and one Sell rating over the past three months. NFLX's average stock price target of $1,394.23 suggests ~13% upside over the next twelve months. NFLX Transitions from Disruptor to Dominant Leader Netflix has transitioned from industry disruptor to dominant market leader, while continuing to uncover new growth avenues. Its advertising tier is scaling rapidly, globally resonant content is attracting new audiences, and free cash flow is reaching levels previously thought unattainable. While the stock trades at a premium, businesses combining this degree of growth and profitability seldom come at a discount. For investors seeking a company with a proven ability to adapt, innovate, and maintain a competitive edge, Netflix remains a compelling proposition.