Social impact platform provider Submittable has acquired grants platform WizeHive, which recently scooped up platforms Bright Funds and WeHero. The deal brings together four social impact brands for grants management and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Submittable will work to create a one-company brand and vision, but initially the focus is integrating our teams and ensuring continuity and stability for all our customers, according to Submittable CEO Thor Culverhouse. “By joining forces with WizeHive, we expand our reach and strengthen our ability to serve all our customers more effectively,” said Culverhouse. “Together, we’ll do even more to support these organizations in their work.”
Separately, Submittable and WizeHive have worked with grantmakers and organizations, including state governments, corporate foundations, and community nonprofits, to drive grants, community investment, relief funds and other philanthropic programs. Bright Funds and WeHero bring employee giving and volunteering solutions to the deal.
“Most CSR programs engage less than a fifth of their workforce, despite nearly 71% of employees believing it’s important to work at a company that gives back through philanthropy and volunteering,” Culverhouse said via the statement. “Legacy software is part of the problem.”
The combined grants management and CSR offerings will position Submittable to address the needs of a diverse range of customers, including multinational corporations, government entities, and foundations, according to information in the statement.
Submittable’s solutions have been used by organizations worldwide running 165,000 programs, collecting more than 25 million applications, and helping to distribute more than $2.4 billion. The firm is backed with private equity from Accel-KKR, Next Coast Ventures, True Ventures, Next Frontier Capital, and StepStone Group. WizeHive is backed by Philadelphia-based LLR Partners.
“Our aim is to seamlessly integrate the best aspects of both companies while ensuring continuity and stability for all our customers,” WizeHive CEO Carl Guarino said via a statement. “We’re thrilled to join Submittable, combining our strengths to provide comprehensive solutions to support the vital work our customers do for communities around the world.”
WizeHive is a provider of cloud-based solutions. Its grant management platform enables corporations, government, and nonprofit organizations to optimize giving done in the forms of grants, scholarships, fellowships and other awards.
Several WizeHive leaders, including Andy Vandenburg, co-founder of WeHero, Ravindar Gujral, chief technology officer, and Srinagesh Vitthanala, chief product officer, will join the Submittable leadership team. Other WizeHive leaders, including Guarino and Co-CROs Kristen Knouft and Ken Lienemann will stay on in a temporary capacity to support the transition, according to Culverhouse. The combined firm now has 302 employees.
