Gravity, which has offices in Canada and the U.S., says it has bought coUrbanize, based in Massachusetts.
Terms were not disclosed.
Gravity, founded in 2014 and backed by private equity, sells end-to-end financial management software that helps public agencies with budgeting, reporting and compliance.
Its more than 230 public-sector clients include Boston; San Jose, Calif.; the University of Florida; and the state of Colorado.
Founed in 2013, coUrbanize focuses on community engagement — especially residents “historically excluded from public processes,” according to a statement — and offers such features as moderated forums, multilingual tools and text-based feedback.
Post-acquisition, coUrbanize becomes “coUrbanize powered by Gravity.”
Karin Brandt, founder and CEO of coUrbanize, shifts to general manager of community engagement at Gravity.
The deal could help public-sector clients meet new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates set to kick in next year, according to the statement. Governments with more than 50,000 citizens will have to comply with those website rules.
Gravity says the new “unified platform” the acquisition has created can help governments transform “financial data into an ADA-compliant transparency and engagement portal.”
“Gravity and coUrbanize create an excellent opportunity for our existing and potential customers to immediately become ADA compliant and engage with citizens through their disclosure reporting,” Gravity CEO Tyler Davey told Government Technology via email.
That’s because the deal will result in more access to ADA-compliant transparency websites and budget-related documents, Davey said.
The acquisition comes amid a busy period for the business of gov tech.
Recent weeks, for example, have brought news about a possible initial public offering for a gov tech supplier — a rare occurrence in the industry — along with more private equity investment in the space, plus a massive fundraising round and what might be the biggest gov tech deal yet.
