- Qualifications recognition platform Ecctis triumphed over what is thought to be strong competition to snap up the successful edtech platform for an undisclosed sum
- Although it will become part of a wider umbrella group of companies, Ecctis has confirmed that Enroly will continue to operate as a separate business
- Since being founded in 2017, Enroly has attracted over USD$2.8m in investment over four rounds of seed funding
Reacting to the news, both companies have branded the deal a great “fit” – helping to supercharge innovation in the student admissions space.
Enroly was set up in 2017 by co-founders Maynard Inkster and Jeff Williams, and has grown rapidly to partner with over 60 British universities.
Currently more than one in three international students pass through the admissions software when applying to study in the UK, with Imperial College London the latest university partners to onboard the admissions software.
It has now emerged that Ecctis has beaten out widespread interest in the company to acquire the valuable edtech platform for an undisclosed sum, with its employee-owned trust (EOT) completing the purchase last week.
Ecctis is internationally renowned in qualifications recognition, including operating the UK ENIC service on behalf of the Department for Education. The service was formerly known as UK NARIC before rebranding in 2021.
Jeff Williams, CEO and co-founder of Enroly, said that the two companies had “a strong strategic and cultural fit, with big ambitions to be a central player in the student global journey”.
“We have a shared ethos of growth through quality solutions that solve real problems for the sector, particularly when domestic and key international markets are experiencing significant policy and financial constraints.”
Joining forces will help the companies to “continue to automate and modernise the student experience”, Williams said, adding that Ecctis’ extensive dataset will be a key part of “accelerating Enroly’s move into the admissions space”.
We have a shared ethos of growth through quality solutions… particularly when domestic and key international markets are experiencing significant policy and financial constraints
Jeff Williams, Enroly
Ecctis has confirmed that while Enroly will be part of the wider family of companies, it will continue to operate as a separate business.
According to Crunchbase, Enroly has attracted over USD$2.8m in investment over four rounds of seed funding.
However, speculation has grown in recent months over the potential sale of the company due to the length of time since the last funding round.
It is understood that a large number of private organisations offering admissions solutions have held a long-term interest in the company.
Enroly soared to mainstream industry prominence in 2024, when real-time data and insights from its vast admissions data pool was used to inform the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) rapid review of the Graduate Route visa.
Catherine Winter, CEO of Ecctis, added: “We are delighted to welcome Enroly into the wider Ecctis family. This is a natural fit. Enroly brings proven technology and a strong presence across UK higher education.
“Together, we’ll accelerate innovation for our customers by combining our global reach, trusted government relationships, and experience working with thousands of universities worldwide.
