Seesaw Announces Strategic Investment from Providence Equity Partners

By: Providence Equity Partners via Business Wire

October 22, 2021 at 06:30 AM EDT

Seesaw Learning Inc. (“Seesaw” or the “Company”) announced today a strategic investment from Providence Equity Partners (“Providence”), a premier private equity firm that specializes in growth-oriented investments in media, communications, education, software and services. Seesaw is a leading SaaS-based classroom technology platform bringing teachers, students, and families together to deepen student learning and engagement with a core focus on elementary grade levels. The Company will continue to be led by co-founders Adrian Graham and Carl Sjogreen. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2015 by veteran product development and engineering professionals, Seesaw provides virtual classroom spaces and multifaceted educational tools to elementary school students, teachers and families, aimed at encouraging creativity and feedback that makes students excited to learn. Seesaw is used by over 10 million teachers, students, and family members in more than 130 countries. The Company’s growing suite of products and services include multimodal creative tools, an expansive library of teacher-generated activities, a secure messaging platform, assessment features and schoolwide management analytics. Seesaw’s products are specifically designed to maximize teacher efficiency and student receptiveness, streamline the family experience and provide school- or district-wide visibility into real-time data, allowing teachers and administrators to measure family involvement and tech utilization.

“As we've gotten to know the Providence team, it's become clear that they believe in Seesaw’s mission and we are aligned on the direction we want to take the company,” said Adrian Graham, Seesaw’s CEO. “We're excited to have them as partners as we continue to transform the learning experience for students, teachers and families around the globe.”

“The Providence team has an impressive history of partnering with founder-led, SaaS-based technology and education software businesses to capitalize on new opportunities that create even better customer experiences,” said Carl Sjogreen, Seesaw’s Chief Product Offer. “We look forward to working with them to help us accelerate this next phase of growth.”

“Seesaw is an impressive founder-led, mission-driven business with opportunities for significant growth,” said David Phillips, Senior Managing Director and Co-Head of North America at Providence. “The platform saw widespread adoption during the pandemic and Seesaw’s customer base continues to expand from a large and active teacher community that drives organic growth through word-of-mouth referrals. We are excited to support the Seesaw team in their next chapter.”

Ardea Partners LP served as Seesaw’s exclusive financial advisor and Fenwick & West LLP served as legal advisor to Seesaw. Robert W. Baird & Co. served as Providence’s financial advisor and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal advisor to Providence.

About Seesaw

Seesaw is a leading platform for meaningful student engagement that helps children demonstrate and share their learning. Teachers get a clear understanding of a student’s strengths and areas for growth and can tailor instruction to accelerate learning. With a focus on elementary school students, Seesaw is used by over 10 million teachers, students, and family members in more than 130 countries worldwide.

About Providence Equity Partners

Providence Equity Partners is a premier global private equity firm with approximately $45 billion in aggregate capital commitments. Providence pioneered a sector-focused approach to private equity investing with the vision that a dedicated team of industry experts could build exceptional companies of enduring value. Since the firm's inception in 1989, Providence has invested in over 170 companies and is a leading equity investment firm focused on growth-oriented investments in media, communications, education, software and services. Providence is headquartered in Providence, RI, and also has offices in New York and London. For more information, please visit www.provequity.com.