Apax’s Cengage Buying National Geographic’s School Publisher

Cengage Learning Inc., the educational company owned by Apax Partners LLP, agreed to buy the National Geographic Society’s school-publishing unit in a deal that includes expanded use of the non-profit’s content.

Cengage Learning is acquiring a digital and print education brand that includes an elementary science curriculum, National Geographic Explorer magazines and Hampton Brown’s literacy and language programs, the Stamford, Connecticut-based firm said today in an e-mailed statement. No financial terms were released.

The deal will expand distribution of National Geographic content, including images, maps, videos and articles, to schools and libraries globally. Cengage and National Geographic, already partners in English-language instruction programs, have collaborated to produce education materials since 2007.

“National Geographic is a prime example of an institution that has preserved the best of its remarkable heritage while transforming itself into a truly global, 21st-century organization,” Cengage Chief Executive Officer Ronald Dunn said in a statement. The deal combines “their esteemed brand and content with our scale, educational-publishing expertise and existing relationships.”

Cengage Learning, formerly Thomson Learning, was acquired by British buyout-firm Apax Partners for about $7.1 billion in 2007. The company develops teaching materials for colleges, schools, libraries and corporations, and provides print and electronic publishing. Cengage has annual sales of about $2 billion and 5,500 employees, according to its website.

Founded in 1888, Washington-based National Geographic is a non-profit corporation that funds science and education programs and produces its namesake magazine, television channel and other media.