Startup to Watch exit: KC’s Signal Kit found momentum — and a buyer — on West Coast

An edtech firm with deep roots in Kansas City’s startup community is being integrated into its new West Coast owner’s school communications platform, the companies announced Monday.

Signal Kit — one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2019 — was acquired by Santa Barbara, Calif.-based ParentSquare in an undisclosed cash and equity deal, confirmed Matt Miquelon, chief product officer for Signal Kit.

“We could not be more excited,” added Bill Frenzel, chief strategy officer at Signal Kit. “With this acquisition, the two fastest-growing and dynamic companies in K-12 communications will combine forces with the singular mission of modernizing the way schools engage with their families.”

Founded in 2015, Signal Kit is a community messaging tool for school districts to send in-app voice, SMS, email, and push notifications to their entire communities. ParentSquare’s platform unifies all school communication tools from the district office to the classroom, providing oversight throughout and powerful reporting metrics.

Combined, the two companies will serve more than 2 million students nationwide, across 44 states, including close to 20 percent of all students in California, according to ParentSquare.

Click here to read more about why Signal Kit was chosen as one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2019.

With the acquisition, the entire Signal Kit team is expected to join ParentSquare — remaining in their current remote locations in both Kansas City and various spots in California, said Miquelon.

While based largely in Kansas City, Signal Kit spent much of 2019 focused on building partnerships in California where the startup already had seen its most significant momentum, Miquelon told Startland News previously.

“What’s amazing is that as we maintain our base here in Kansas City and become very successful in another market — I think our initial success and investments are further proof that the Midwestern work ethic, the Show Me attitude and economics of being based in Kansas City, are a unique benefit which generate innovative outcomes and products,” he said.

Involved in the Kansas City startup scene for about 20 years, Miquelon was a veteran of uclick, LiveOn, local ruckus/hoopla and Dewsly. In addition, Signal Kit’s CTO Tom Zagorski worked previously with mysidewalk and Dewsly.

“Although Signal Kit has been heads-down and not very involved in the startup ecosystem the last few years, we would not be where we are today without the environment and scrappiness we learned cutting our teeth in this vibrant community,” Miquelon said Monday.