Like Center

Like Center is a business school offering entrepreneurship development courses. The company, operating in the EdTech market, offers training programs for start-up and active entrepreneurs, as well as for those who plan to open their business. One of the features of the training in the center is the introduction of new business tools immediately during the program.

History

2021: Investments from Mikhail Peregudov

The founder of the "Food Party" Mikhail Peregudov invested in Ayaz Shabutdinov's company "Like Center." This became known on May 17, 2021.

At the same time, Peregudov joined the board of directors of the company. The transaction amount is not disclosed.

Like Center is a technology education company for entrepreneurs. The "Like Center" programs are designed for both micro and small business segments. The company sells its services through a federal network of partners, its main office is in Moscow. The board of directors of Like Center, headed by Ayaz Shabutdinov, includes the founder of the investment company A.Partners Alexei Soloviev, representing the interests of Sergey Solonin.

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In 2020, Like Center took 6th place among representatives of online education in the RBC ranking, and also entered the top 100 innovative Edtech companies in Russia and SNG.-- >

The expertise of professional investors provides great support in expanding our business, "comments Ayaz Shabutdinov. - We highly appreciate the experience of working with Sergey Solonin and his team, and I am sure that Mikhail Peregudov's participation in the development of the "Like Center" will be equally fruitful. We expect that the knowledge of the added members of the board of directors will help us close a major round of investments by the end of 2021. And by the age of 23-24, we plan to bring the company to IPO.

{{quote 'In addition to strong financial results, the "Like Center" team manages to create a really high-quality product, primarily in the education segment for small businesses - Mikhail Peregudov explains his decision. - Student results and strong product metrics, which I have observed in the last six months, in my opinion, will lead to further sustainable business growth. }}

2020: Sale of 10.5% of the company to Qiwi co-founder Sergei Solonin

At the end of October 2020, it became known about the sale of 10.5% of Like Center to co-founder of QiwiSergey Solonin. The businessman received a stake in Like Business LLC through one of his funds, the name of which is not disclosed, as well as the cost of the transaction.

Director of the accelerator FRIIDmitry Kalaev in a conversation with Forbes estimated the entire company "Like Center" at 0.8-1.2 billion rubles, so Solonin could pay 80-100 million rubles for the share.

The founder of Like Center, Ayaz Shabutdinov, told Forbes that the deal took place in two rounds: the first took place in September 2019 - then Solonin bought 5%. In February 2020, the entrepreneur exercised the option to buy another 5.5%.

Qiwi co-founder Sergey Solonin

It is noted that as a result of the joint work of Solonin and the company "Like Center" there were:

• the formation of a new board of directors, headed by the founder of the investment company A.Partners Alexei Soloviev, he took up the company's strategy, determining the main directions of its development;
• integration into the strategy of the center of a new basic component - the social impact of the company on society, including a system for measuring social effects and non-financial reporting with the participation of the Sol Center;
• the creation of a fund within the "Like Center" for investments in graduate projects - the fund has already invested in 19 startups;
• creation of an educational IT platform "Toolbox";
• introduction of metrics and reports, which note changes in social and financial indicators of the company.^[1]

Notes