Providence Equity Partners Majority Investment in Smartly.io

Providence Equity Partners Acquires Majority Stake in 365 Retail Markets

December 24, 2020

Cloud & SaaS

Providence Equity Partners has made a majority investment in 365 Retail Markets, a Troy, Michigan-based provider of self-service commerce technology for the foodservice industry. Providence will partner with existing investor McCarthy Capital and the company's management team to support product development, customer services, and accelerated growth while CEO Joe Hessling remains a significant shareholder.

Providence Equity Partners Takes Majority Growth Stake in Modern Campus

August 26, 2025

Cloud & SaaS

Providence Equity Partners has made a majority growth investment in Modern Campus, a learner-to-earner SaaS platform for higher education. The Riverside Company sold its stake in the business, and Modern Campus appointed Craig Chanoff as CEO as Providence plans to support product development and strategic acquisitions to accelerate growth.

Smartly.io Acquires Ad-Lib.io to Expand into Google Ecosystem

January 5, 2022

Marketing & Advertising

Helsinki-based ad-tech SaaS company Smartly.io has acquired London-based creative optimization platform Ad-Lib.io for more than $100 million. The deal expands Smartly.io’s capabilities from paid social into Google’s advertising ecosystem (YouTube, DV360, Google Ads), strengthening its cross-channel creative and programmatic offering while leveraging Ad-Lib.io’s enterprise creative tools.

Providence Equity Partners Majority Investment in Accelerate Learning

February 21, 2023

Education

Providence Equity Partners has made a majority investment in Accelerate Learning, a Houston-based provider of K-12 STEM curriculum and digital learning platforms. Existing investors including funds managed by Carlyle, Quad Partners, Rice University and Owl Ventures will retain minority stakes; financial terms were not disclosed. The investment is intended to help Accelerate Learning scale growth, deepen customer relationships and pursue organic and inorganic expansion opportunities.

Smartly.io Acquires Viralspace.ai

May 13, 2021

Cloud & SaaS

Adtech firm Smartly.io acquired AI-driven creative optimization startup Viralspace.ai, with the deal closing on May 13, 2021. Viralspace.ai — a small, Stanford-founded team with a data-driven creative optimization SaaS and early traction — will operate as an independent business line and be integrated with Smartly.io’s advertising automation platform to enhance creative intelligence and media optimization capabilities.

Providence Equity Partners Acquires Majority Stake in n2y

November 18, 2019

Education

Providence Equity Partners has made a majority investment in n2y LLC, a Huron, Ohio–based provider of software, curriculum and tools for K‑12 special education. The Riverside Company and members of n2y's management will remain minority shareholders as Providence supports the company's organic and acquisition growth plans.