Software company Edulog is using an infusion of private equity funding to expand its presence in the K-12 student transportation routing market and support new developments with its Athena cloud-native platform, while also streamlining company operations.
The family-run company founded in 1977 and based in Missoula, Montana announced Tuesday it is partnering with private equity firm Serent Capital. Details of the deal were not disclosed.
“Our mission is to help school districts make the most of their resources. With Serent’s backing, we can broaden our reach to even more districts and families across the country, and continue to lead the industry in innovation,” commented Edulog founder Dr. Hien Nguyen.
Company spokeswoman Lam Nguyen-Bull explained to School Transportation News the strategic growth investment will allow Edulog to work with a wider range of clients than in recent years, which is expected to make Athena more accessible and intuitive to school districts, regardless if they contract for a part-time route or a employ team of on-staff routers.
Athena is a modular, configurable, cloud-based routing platform designed for school districts of all sizes. Edulog said it integrates with student information systems to pull and populate transportation routers and eligibility with customizable maps, select and assign stops to runs and communicate with parents via a portal.
The Athena software roadmap includes enhancements in what CEO Sam Bull referred to in a statement as Edulog’s “unrivaled optimization suite.” It already includes depot, stop, special needs, run, route and bell time optimization, he noted.
Nguyen-Bull added that it also provides more intuitive dashboards, deeper reporting and a better ability to track ROI through cost savings, route efficiency and route utilization.
“We’re also building AI-driven features to layer on top of our unique industry leading mathematical algorithmic optimization to support proactive planning and faster decision-making,” she said. “In addition, we’re expanding our modules by enhancing tools like our parent and driver portals and exploring new capabilities like field trip management, fleet maintenance and dismissal workflows that can simplify operations even further.”
Part of the deal includes adding Perry Turbes, Serent’s senior operating executive, to Edulog’s board of directors as executive chair. He will oversee Serent’s Operating Executive Director program, which pairs experienced former CEOs with portfolio companies to provide strategic guidance and hands-on support.
Meanwhile, it’s business as usual for Edulog customers but with increased support, Nguyen-Bull added.
“The teams and faces our customers know aren’t going anywhere. What is changing is the level of investment in the things that matter most: Faster enhancements, more personalized service and a clearer voice for customers in the future of our platform,” she said.
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