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Code.org Announces $3 Million Multi-Year Commitment from Vista Equity Partners Plus Increased Collaboration among Vista Employees and Its Portfolio Companies
[September 21, 2017]

Code.org Announces $3 Million Multi-Year Commitment from Vista Equity Partners Plus Increased Collaboration among Vista Employees and Its Portfolio Companies


Today Code.org announced a major donation and increased collaboration with Vista Equity Partners together with several of its portfolio companies. Vista is the leading investment firm for enterprise software, data, and technology-enabled businesses. The donation, which totals $3 million over three years, will be used to prepare existing teachers to begin teaching computer science, to broaden access to students in neighborhoods which previously had no pathway of opportunity or access to study this subject in school, and to improve and expand Code.org's courses, which are already the most broadly used curriculum in K-12 computer science.

These contributions by Vista and several of its portfolio companies build on a continuing collaboration between Vista and Code.org. Vista regularly hosts "Hour of Code" events in its Austin headquarters, as well as in its other offices, and increasingly at the offices of Vista's 40-plus portfolio companies around the United States and globally. In addition, one of Vista's portfolio companies, PowerSchool, will integrate access to Code.org across the PowerSchool student information system (SIS) and through their Unified Classroom Learning Management (LMS) platform. This will provide seamless class and student roster integration, alignment of curricula and instructional content, and will empower professional development and sharing of best practices for teachers using Code.org's courses and curriculum into the future. PowerSchool is the leading K-12 education technology provider of solutions that improve the education experience for 100 million students, teachers, and parents in more than 8000 districts and 70 countries around the world.

"We are thrilled to partnr with Vista, and especially grateful for their multi-year commitment," said Hadi Partovi, CEO of Code.org. "This type of sustained commitment is critical to our success. Vista's Founder & CEO, Robert Smith (News - Alert), Co-Founder & President Brian Sheth, and their leadership team, are the embodiment of diversity and critical role models for our students for how STEM and computer science can unlock doors to opportunity for young people of all backgrounds. This unique collaboration provides Code.org with both multi-year financial resources and also the know-how, people, ideas and vast reach of the more that 40 software companies in Vista's portfolio."



"My parents, both of whom were public school teachers and principals, shared with me their love of learning and discovery," said Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman & CEO of Vista Equity Partners. "My understanding of engineering at the dawn of the internet age gave me a competitive edge as we founded and built Vista and our portfolio companies over these last years. For young people today, digital fluency, coding, and computer science education will be fundamental to opportunity and success. The Vista family of employees and portfolio companies are thrilled to make this multi-year commitment to expand our partnership with Code.org, which is making an extraordinary impact, especially with students who otherwise would not have access to these critical skills."

Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities. Code.org's vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science, just like biology, chemistry or algebra. Code.org organizes the annual Hour of Code campaign which has engaged 10% of all students in the world and provides the leading curriculum for K-12 computer science in the largest school districts in the United States.


Vista Equity Partners, a U.S.-based investment firm with offices in Austin, San Francisco, Chicago, and Oakland with more than $30 billion in cumulative capital commitments, currently invests in software, data and technology-enabled organizations led by world-class management teams with long-term perspective. Vista is a value-added investor, contributing professional expertise and multi-level support towards companies' realizing their full potential. Vista's investment approach is anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions, and proven management techniques that yield flexibility and opportunity in private equity investing. For more information, please visit http://www.vistaequitypartners.com.


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