Bertelsmann plans merger of Brazil’s Afya and YDUQS to expand education business

Afya agreed to merge with Brazilian higher-education provider YDUQS, creating a group with about EUR 1.6 billion in revenue. The combined company would serve more than 900,000 students, including 40,000 in medicine and 440,000 online students. The agreed share-exchange implies 69% ownership for Afya holders, 31% for YDUQS holders, leaving Bertelsmann with 47%. The merged group will remain listed on B3’s Novo Mercado, with headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. Afya CEO Virgilio Gibbon is set to lead the combined company; Bertelsmann Education Group CEO Kay Krafft will be chairman. Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Bertelsmann SE & Co KGaA published the original content used to generate this news brief on September 24, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. (C)