Education software companies Anthology and Blackboard completed a previously announced merger on Monday. Together, the two companies plan to create a comprehensive ecosystem for edtech solutions. The new combined company will operate under the name Anthology, with Blackboard remaining as part of its brand portfolio.
Both Anthology and Blackboard already have a global presence in the edtech industry. Anthology’s solutions are focused on higher education campus management. Blackboard provides a classroom and student assignment platform for teachers in higher education and grades K-12. Anthology works with more than 2,000 colleges and universities and has over 150 million users in 80 countries.
“Together, Blackboard and Anthology will lead the next wave of edtech innovation,” Bill Ballhaus, CEO and President of Blackboard, said in a September statement.
While Anthology will be headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, the company plans to keep its Blackboard office in Reston.
“The closing of the transaction represents the next chapter for Anthology and Blackboard as our collective offerings can deliver unmatched personalized experiences and insights across the full learner lifecycle,” Jim Milton, Anthology chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
The merger will allow Anthology to offer a variety of new benefits to its clients across higher education, K-12 schools, government and private business. These benefits include accelerated investments and innovation of its current solutions and an expanded portfolio of products and services.
“With this combination, Anthology is poised to accelerate the data-driven higher ed ecosystem that the market has been demanding,” Ramzi Musallam, CEO and managing partner of Veritas Capital (which is a majority owner of Anthology), said in a statement. “... Anthology will serve as an industry force to improve outcomes for students and institutions and ensure the advancement of connected knowledge.”
Blackboard isn’t the only DMV-based company to join forces with an out-of-state business in recent weeks. Denver-based mental health platform SonderMind acquired Arlington’s data analytics startup Qnfty last week to offer patients and therapists alike better insights and treatment suggestions.
