LOS ANGELES — April 25, 2023 — Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that Verb, a people development platform incorporating behavioral science and proprietary microlearning content to create best-in-class workplace training, has been acquired by Paycor. The transaction closed on April 26, 2023.
Verb is a behavioral-science-based microlearning platform that’s built to easily upskill and develop managers and their frontline teams. Verb has a library of 100+ hours of proprietary, bite-sized soft-skills content that addresses a variety of talent development needs. The expertly built content drives real behavioral change by building real-world practice and reflection into its learning. Verb enables HR and learning and development leaders to choose between prebuilt, ready-to-launch learning programs or to develop a custom learning program, such as manager training, leadership development, employee onboarding, and DE&I training.
Paycor plans to fully integrate Verb into its HCM platform and accelerate the development of Paycor Paths, a new product designed to help organizations inspire positive and sustainable behavioral change within their frontline leaders through a series of personalized development journeys. As part of Paths, Verb will enable Paycor’s customers to deliver personalized and effective employee learning experiences at scale. According to Gartner, leader and manager effectiveness is the most frequent top priority among HR leaders. With the acquisition of Verb, Paycor will support organizations with its top priority of empowering leaders to develop winning teams.
“We look forward to welcoming the talented and passionate Verb team to the Paycor family,” said Swati Garodia, Chief Strategy Officer of Paycor. “With ongoing talent shortages and the accelerating pace of change, it is critical for companies, large and small, to invest in upskilling their internal teams and frontline leaders. With the acquisition of Verb, we will provide our customers with the most engaging, results-oriented, and personalized learning solution on the market.”
“We’ve built an incredible learning platform,” said Suzi Sosa, Chief Executive Officer of Verb, “and we’re thrilled to join forces with Paycor to bring it to millions of frontline leaders. Our action-based learning helps employees and managers develop the soft skills they need to be successful in their roles. By combining Verb with Paycor Paths, we will help companies create a culture of continuous learning and development while also showing clear ROI on training. Paycor is the ideal partner to help us achieve the impact we’ve always wanted.”
Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to Verb. This transaction highlights the team’s expertise and continued success in the professional learning sector, marking the team’s 11th transaction since the beginning of 2021.
About Houlihan Lokey
Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) is a global investment bank with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory. The firm serves corporations, institutions, and governments worldwide with offices in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. Independent advice and intellectual rigor are hallmarks of the firm’s commitment to client success across its advisory services. Houlihan Lokey is the No. 1 investment bank for global M&A transactions under $1 billion, the No. 1 M&A advisor for the past eight consecutive years in the U.S., the No. 1 global restructuring advisor for the past nine consecutive years, and the No. 1 global M&A fairness opinion advisor over the past 25 years, all based on number of transactions and according to data provided by Refinitiv.
