Library Technology Guides

KnowBe4 to be Acquired by Vista Equity Partners For $4.6 Billion. KnowBe4, the provider of the world's largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Vista Equity Partners in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $4.6 billion on an equity value basis. [Full Announcement].

PowerSchool to Acquire Kickboard, a Leading Provider of K-12 Education Behavior Management Solutions, to Support Student Social-Emotional Learning and Mental Health. PowerSchool, the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Kickboard, a leading provider of K-12 education behavior management solutions that helps educators effectively manage social-emotional learning and multi-tiered systems of support to help improve student well-being, school culture, and achieve more equitable outcomes. Adding Kickboard to PowerSchool's award-winning Unified Classroom™ will enable educators to securely input and analyze student behaviors, interactions, and outcomes by connecting one of K-12's leading behavior management solutions, including the only evidence-based, behavior management platform that meets federal standards, such as Every Student Succeeds Act Level II, with industry-leading student information, learning management, professional learning, and data analytics systems. [Full Announcement].

Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners Complete Acquisition of Ellucian. Ellucian, a leading higher education technology solutions provider, announced the completion of its acquisition by funds managed by Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners. Blackstone and Vista are investing in Ellucian through their respective long-term private equity strategies, which hold investments for longer periods than traditional private equity. [Full Announcement].

EAB Acquires Student Engagement Technology Company Wisr. ducation company EAB announced today that it has acquired Wisr, an education technology company that specializes in building affinity between prospective students and colleges. The acquisition is the latest step in EAB's efforts to help schools and students find, learn about, and interact with one another. [Full Announcement].

PowerSchool Completes Acquisition of Naviance and Intersect. PowerSchool, a leading provider of K-12 education technology solutions, announced today the completion of its acquisition of Hobsons' Naviance and Intersect unlocking new and deeper insights into the whole child through integrated analytics. Naviance is a college, career, and life readiness solution used by students across U.S. schools for assessing and developing students' interests and competencies in preparation for life after high school. Intersect is an innovative admissions solution connecting Naviance students to their best-fit higher education opportunities. More than 40 percent of high school students have access to Naviance, and together with PowerSchool, which supports over 75 percent of K-12 students, millions more students across the U.S. can get the support they need from these critical solutions. [Full Announcement].

EAB to Enhance Its Student Success Collaborative by Acquiring Starfish. Education company EAB announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Hobsons' student success platform, Starfish. The addition will enhance how EAB supports students inside and outside the classroom, as well as enrich the company's network of college and university partners. [Full Announcement].

EAB Acquires Cappex, a Leading College Research and Decision Platform. Education firm EAB has acquired Cappex, a market leader in helping students search for schools and scholarships. The addition of the Cappex platform to EAB's Enrollment Services suite will enhance EAB's ability to help colleges and universities find and engage prospective students despite major shifts in the college search process. [Full Announcement].

EAB Acquires Leading Interactive Content Provider YouVisit. Education firm EAB has acquired YouVisit, the leading provider of virtual tour and interactive web content for higher education. The addition of YouVisit's technology platform, together with its expertise in immersive content creation, further enhances EAB's ability to help colleges and universities find, engage, and enroll new students. [Full Announcement].

EAB to Become a Standalone Company. EAB, a best practice business serving the education industry, announced that its parent company, The Advisory Board Company, has entered into a definitive agreement to sell EAB to Vista Equity Partners, a leading investment firm focused on investing in software, data and technology-enabled businesses. At the closing of the transaction, EAB will separate from The Advisory Board Company and become a standalone company focused solely on education. [Full Announcement].

FIS to Sell SunGard Public Sector and Education Businesses to Vista Equity Partners. FIS, a global leader in financial services technology, announced it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its SunGard Public Sector and Education businesses to Vista Equity Partners for $850 million. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017, subject to required regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The transaction will include all SunGard Public Sector and Education solutions, which provide a comprehensive set of technology solutions to address public safety and public administration needs of government entities as well as the needs of K-12 school districts. [Full Announcement].

PowerSchool Group Acquired by Vista Equity Partners and Appoints CEO. PowerSchool Group, the leading provider of student information systems and services in K-12 education, announced that it has been acquired by Vista Equity Partners from Pearson plc. The transaction was originally announced June 17th. The carve-out marks a new phase of growth for PowerSchool as the company addresses increasing demand for integrated education technology products. Following the closing of the acquisition, PowerSchool appointed Hardeep Gulati as Chief Executive Officer. [Full Announcement].

Vista Equity Partners closes its latest Flagship Fund V at $5.775 billion. Vista Equity Partners, a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on investments in software, data and technology‐enabled companies, announced today it has completed fundraising for Vista Equity Partners Fund V. The Fund closed at $5.775 billion in limited partner commitments and was substantially oversubscribed. This brings Vista's total cumulative capital commitments to over $14B.   [Full Announcement].

PeopleAdmin has been acquired by Vista Equity Partners. PeopleAdmin, the leading provider of on-demand talent management solutions for higher education and government, announced that it has been acquired by Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm with over $7 billion in committed capital. [Full Announcement].

Lexmark acquires Brainware. Lexmark International announced the acquisition of Luxembourg-based BDGB Enterprise, including its U.S. subsidiary Brainware, Inc., a Vista Equity Partners portfolio company, for a cash purchase price of approximately $148 million. Brainware now joins Perceptive Software, a stand-alone business unit within Lexmark. Brainware's chief executive officer, Carl Mergele, will report directly to Scott Coons, Perceptive Software's president and chief executive officer and Lexmark vice president [Full Announcement].

Vista Equity Partners completes acquisition of Sage Healthcare Division. Vista Equity Partners announced it has completed its acquisition of the Sage Healthcare Division from The Sage Group plc in an agreement that was announced on September 22, 2011. The new company will be called Vitera Healthcare Solutions, which will continue serving the ambulatory market with its current line of electronic health records , practice management and revenue cycle management products. As part of the closing of the transaction Betty Otter-Nickerson, former President of Sage Healthcare Division, will be transitioning her leadership responsibilities to the newly appointed CEO of Vitera, Matthew Hawkins. [Full Announcement].

ABB Acquires Ventyx to Strengthen Its Network Management Business. ABB, the global power and automation technology group, has agreed to acquire Ventyx for more than $1 billion from Vista Equity Partners to become a leading provider of software solutions for managing energy networks. [Full Announcement].

SumTotal announces agreement to be acquired by Vista Equity Partners for $4.85 Per Share in Cash. SumTotal Systems, the market leader and a global provider of talent development solutions, announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with affiliates of Vista Equity Partners under which Vista will acquire all the outstanding shares of SumTotal common stock for $4.85 per share in cash, or approximately $160 million. The Vista Agreement was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of SumTotal. [Full Announcement].