Ânima Educação reported this Tuesday (14) that it signed a contract to buy Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas Educacionais (FMU) in an operation that could reach R$410 million. The educational institution, which is in judicial recovery, has around 51 thousand students and six campuses in the city of São Paulo. ? The acquisition will be carried out through the subsidiary Rede Educacional do Brasil, which closed the agreement with Camp Nou Fundo de Investimentos em Participações Multiestratégia, current controller of FMU. Of the total value of the negotiation, R$240 million will be paid in cash at the closing of the transaction. The remaining R$170 million will be disbursed later and may be adjusted according to FMU's financial performance and other conditions set out in the contract. Before being completed, the acquisition still needs to complete steps common to this type of transaction, including approval from the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade). Ânima's expectation is that the body's analysis will be completed by the end of 2026. READ ALSO: Former owners of FMU ask the Court to convert judicial recovery into bankruptcy; understand FMU: understand the legal fight and what could happen to students in the event of bankruptcy FMU reinforces Ânima's expansion In a statement to the market, the company states that the purchase is part of the strategy to expand its presence in higher education with the incorporation of one of the most traditional institutions in the country. With more than 50 years of operation, FMU brings together around 51 thousand students, six campuses in the city of São Paulo and more than 200 distance learning centers spread across Brazil. In the 12 months ended in March 2026, FMU recorded net revenue of R$281.7 million and an adjusted operating result of R$52.9 million. Ânima also highlighted that the institution received top marks in the institutional concept of the Ministry of Education (MEC) and has a strong presence in the areas of Law and Health, considered strategic for the group's growth. FMU Santo Amaro Campus, in the South Zone of São Paulo Reproduction/Google Street View