On 14 February 2018, German company Westermann Gruppe took over the London-based educational software developer Blue Duck Education. Westermann Gruppe is one of the largest educational media publishers in the German-speaking area, whilst Blue Duck Education specializes in digital game-based learning in mathematics. With this purchase, the Westermann Gruppe advances their plan for internationalisation a step further.
Blue Duck Education has developed the maths learning system Mangahigh.com, which is marketed to primary and secondary schools the world over and is tailored to the specific curriculum in each country. Mangahigh.com is available in both English and Portuguese, and is hugely popular with students and teachers in the UK, the US, Australia and Brazil. The system comprises around 700 HTML-based online activities for different maths topics, which can be played both in class and at home on any device. Teachers are able to personalize instruction based on the learning needs of the students.
Westermann Gruppe is expanding its portfolio with Mangahigh.com to offer more opportunities for playful and digital learning. This acquisition should also pave the way for rapid expansion in new markets. “We are very pleased, together with our new ambitious company to strengthen our presence in international markets”, said Ralf Halfbrodt, CEO of Westermann Gruppe. “With Mangahigh.com, we are able to establish our extensive range of educational media in non-European countries more effectively than ever before.”
Mohit Midha, CEO & Co-Founder of Blue Duck Education, will continue to lead his 30-strong team from London. The company plans to enter new markets, as well as expand into other subject areas. “We are all really excited about being part of the Westermann Gruppe, as the experience and scale that comes with it brings us closer to realising our vision of making the world’s most engaging digital resource for teaching and learning of STEM subjects,” said Mohit Midha.