MindChamps expands into Malaysia, targets 20 preschool centres by 2024

Singapore

MINDCHAMPS PreSchool has signed Malaysian education group Victoria Education as a master franchisee, marking the Singapore early-education group's first expansion across the Causeway.

With the deal in place, MindChamps plans to launch 20 international preschools in Malaysia by 2024, the company announced on Wednesday.

MindChamps also has franchise deals in the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, the Philippines and Myanmar, and owns and operates 10 centres in Australia.

MindChamps said in a statement that the 20 Malaysian campuses will be "styled as a learning village, where classrooms are clustered in community groupings around common collaborative spaces, allowing children from different ages to interact and learn in a social setting".

It plans to open the first campus in June 2019. Among the 20 schools planned, there will be a 10,000 square metre flagship campus in Kuala Lumpur for about 1,000 children, which is expected to be ready in 2021.

MindChamps also plans to open a campus in Johor Baru by end-2019, which is expected to cater to 650 children. These two campuses will also feature a multi-level sensory garden and a 20-metre indoor swimming pool among its facilities.

Chief executive officer of MindChamps PreSchool, David Chiem, said: "With Malaysia on board, our overseas expansion plans are right on track since our IPO."

Said Jeffrey Lai Jiun Jye, CEO, Victoria Education: "We were instinctively drawn towards MindChamps' breakthrough preschool curriculum which has a proven track record of success in the competitive Singapore market."

Singapore Press Holdings owns a 20 per cent stake in MindChamps.

MindChamps shares closed S$0.01 or 1.6 per cent lower at S$0.62 on Wednesday.