Simpson Thacher is representing Blackstone in connection with its proposed equity investment in Renaissance. Blackstone is making a significant investment through its flagship private equity fund alongside existing investors including Francisco Partners and TPG’s The Rise Fund.~~Renaissance is a global leader in pre-K-12 educational technology, serving more than 40% of U.S. schools and more than 16 million students worldwide. The Renaissance portfolio includes Star Assessments, myIGDIs, myON, Accelerated Reader, Schoolzilla, Lalilo and Nearpod.~~The Simpson Thacher team includes Elizabeth Cooper, William Allen and Abigail Xu (M&A); Jonathan Goldstein, Sophie Staples and Eli Shalam (Tax); Lori Lesser and Melanie Jolson (Intellectual Property); Greg Grogan, Scott Schilson and Allison Sweeney (Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits); Brian Gluck (Financing); and Krista McManus and Dennis Loiacono (Real Estate).