The acquisition of the Brazilian IE Exchange Arabic MetaApply It should yield an investment of at least $ 20 million over the next three years. Even in the face of a challenging geopolitical scenario for immigration, the bet is in the resilience of Brazilian demand for English -speaking destinations and the ease to get visas in the region.
With the acquisition, Metaapply becomes controller of IE exchange, with 53% participation. The Brazilian company, however, continues using the same brand in the country. Both have been using, since last Tuesday (11), the two logos on their official pages.
Behind the negotiation is Metaapply’s intention to expand its operations in the Latin market. Today, the company based in Dubai is strong especially in Asia, in countries such as China and India.
“It is a market that, compared to countries in Asia, grows at a very high speed. Specifically in Latin America, their interest, besides growth, is that the visa approval rate for students is very high, ”says the CFO and responsible for conducting the M&A process for IE Exchange, Cesar Vieira.
They were R $ 3.7 billion moved only by educational exchange programs in 2023according to the Brazilian Educational & Language Travel Association (Belta) Association. According to Vieira, the rate of approval of visas in the country is about 80%, a high number in global comparison.
With the arrival of Metaapply, IE exchange expands its operations to Mexico and Colombia. The intention is to jump from the current 48 stores for 100 commercial representations later this year, marked by the inauguration of an experience center in São Paulo – space for lectures, service and content production – such as the Meta Apply model.
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For now, the only confirmed investments are $ 20 million for student technology and experience in the next 3 years cycle.
Specializing in exchanges for language courses and higher education (Postgraduate and MBA), IE Exchange closed 2024 with revenues of R $ 120 million. The company does not expect the new US immigration policy to impact business at first.
“We have seen so far is that the changes to come to the US government are more linked to immigration visas. Student visas: Study, Study and Work Study of Student or University, maintained the same approval rate, ”says Vieira. “We don’t feel difference and we believe there will be no.”
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Countries such as Canada and Australia, two of the main destinations of Brazilian exchange students, have also discussed changes in student work policies. But Vieira sees the behavior of the Brazilian market as a “chameleon”. When some destination increases restrictions, alternatives are quickly found in other markets.
English speaking countries are the main destinations, with Canada and the United States in the lead, followed by the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia. “If Canada begins to restrict some types of visa, we end up increasing the volume to Australia or Ireland,” exemplifies Vieira.
