Ed-tech solutions provider PowerSchool said it will acquire talent management solutions company PeopleAdmin. A joint investment from two private equity firms will fund the purchase.

PowerSchool to Acquire PeopleAdmin: K-12 technology solutions provider PowerSchool has agreed to acquire PeopleAdmin, a provider of talent management solutions for education, for an undisclosed sum.

PowerSchool will receive a joint investment from private equity firms Vista Equity Partners and Onex to enable the acquisition, which will provide a single platform combining district operations, classroom solutions, parent engagement and teacher recruitment and development, according to a statement. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Adding PeopleAdmin’s talent management, professional development and research-based analytics solutions to our existing product offerings will enable our customers to access a fully unified, integrated platform that spans all aspects of K-12 education,” said Hardeep Gulati, CEO of PowerSchool.

Jack Blaha, CEO of PeopleAdmin, added, “The two companies’ solutions are completely complementary, providing customers an even more integrated, comprehensive and powerful platform.”

PowerSchool and PeopleAdmin will continue to operate separately until an official close has been announced, the companies said.

In a separate statement, Robert F. Smith, founder, chairman and CEO of Vista said, “In Onex, we found a strong partner with an aligned long-term investment philosophy. We are confident that, together with PowerSchool’s management team, we can lead the company through its next chapter of continued growth and success.”

Renaissance and Learning A-Z Join Forces: Learning analytics company Renaissance has named Learning A-Z, a literacy-focused pre-K–6 educational provider of technology-enabled learning resources, as its latest Renaissance Growth Alliance partner, the companies said in a statement.

As a result, Learning A-Z’s blended learning platform, Raz-Plus, will be integrated with Renaissance Flow 360, an assessment-driven instruction solution. The integration will enable educators to use Renaissance Flow 360 to assign and add Raz-Plus resources to their students’ lesson and assignment plans.

The partnership will allow the companies, working together, to provide personalized reading instruction to help educators increase students’ literacy comprehension and proficiency, according to the statement.

“By working with Learning A-Z, we’re aiming to reduce the time educators spend manually processing student reading data and assigning instruction,” said Sally Searby, vice president of strategic partnerships at Renaissance. “In turn, this integration can support personalized instruction goals in the classroom, leading to greater literacy outcomes for students. We’re so pleased to welcome Learning A-Z to the Renaissance Growth Alliance—a vital solution that’s leading the way in bringing increased data interoperability to districts worldwide.”

Sylvan Learning to Expand Across China: Tutoring and test prep company Sylvan Learning has formed a partnership with Sylvan China to expand across China with the development of 200 locations over the next 10 years, according to a statement.

“There is a demand for Sylvan Learning to open locations across China and to provide our premium programs and personalized education to children across the country,” said John McAuliffe, Sylvan Learning CEO. “With our recent openings in Vietnam and the Middle East, China is a terrific next step in our international development initiative.”

Students in China will have access to Sylvan’s core programs, including math, reading, study skills, homework help and test prep, in addition to its superior STEM product line of robotics, coding, engineering, Math Edge and Algebra Edge.

“Sylvan Learning will be a meaningful addition to China’s supplemental and enrichment education climate,” said Bo Jiang, head of Sylvan China. “These programs will not only help students excel academically, but they are the perfect solution to prepare students who plan to study abroad.”

Lingumi Raises $1.7 Million: Lingumi, a U.K.-based English-language learning platform for preschoolers, has raised $1.7 million in a seed funding round led by ADV, according to TechCrunch.

Lingumi provides an app that offers hundreds of learning activities that introduce young children to English, as well physical products to support learning, according to the company.

TechCrunch noted that the company, which was founded in 2015, has customers in over 40 countries, but is mainly focused on Western Europe, Taiwan, and, increasingly, China.

TechXtend Partners With RoboKind: Education solutions provider TechXtend, an education solutions provider, has formed a partnership with RoboKind, developer of an autism intervention program and a facially expressive, social robot that aims to engage learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a statement.

Under this agreement, TechXtend will bring RoboKind products and services to North America, and has been named the exclusive partner for the New Jersey K–12 market and surrounding states.

TechXtend offers technologies in the areas of character development, curriculum development, school safety, STEM, assistive technology for ASD learners, and other educational hardware and software products.

 

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