BC Partners has fought off a host of rival bids to acquire financial news and data provider Mergermarket Group from education giant Pearson.

Pearson said in a statement today that it has agreed to sell Mergermarket for an enterprise value of £382 million. BC saw off competition from private equity firm Warburg Pincus - which partnered with Caspar Hobbs, one Mergermarket's founders, for the bid - as well as strategic buyers Fitch Group and Advance Publications, according to a person familiar with the situation.