Online Student Safety

Lightspeed Acquires Learning Analytics Provider CatchOn

• By Kristal Kuykendall
• 01/11/22

Lightspeed Systems, a provider of online student safety technology, on Tuesday announced that it has acquired CatchOn, a learning analytics provider for schools, according to a news release.

With the acquisition, Lightspeed expands its portfolio of purpose-driven technology fostering safe and effective learning solutions for K-12 students in more than 32,000 schools. Lightspeed completed the transaction with continued support from Chicago-based private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners; terms were not disclosed.

Founded in 2016, CatchOn captures real-time data analytics and shares insights on technology usage, data privacy, and student engagement to enable K–12 educators to create “more efficient and student-focused educational strategies.”

Combining Lightspeed’s online safety ecosystem with CatchOn’s data analytics tools “creates an unparalleled, comprehensive suite of learning solutions tailored to meet the evolving needs of educators and their students,” Lightspeed said in the announcement.

“Investment in education technology has never been higher or more critical, as administrators strive to better understand the technologies they are implementing, analyze outcomes and maximize the positive impact educators are having on students’ lives,” said Lightspeed President and CEO Brian Thomas. “CatchOn’s innovative data analytics tools are highly complementary to Lightspeed’s web-filtering, analytics, and online monitoring solutions. Together, we will have the technologies, capabilities, and team required to accelerate our mission of keeping students safe, and learning equitable and effective.”

Lightspeed continues to expand its presence in the growing domestic and international K-12 market for web-filtering and reporting, analytics, mobile device management and classroom management. In 2021, Lightspeed launched several such tools including the Lightspeed Parent Portal and Lightspeed Alert with 24/7/365 human review.

To learn more, visit www.lightspeedsystems.com or www.catchon.com.