Compass Education launches in WA

Victoria-based edutech company Compass has launched operations in WA, following a $60 million capital raise from private equity firm Advent Partners.

Founded in 2009, Compass Education offers a suite of applications to streamline school’s operational and administrative tasks to more than 1,800 schools in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

Employing around 140 staff, the company's WA launch follows on from its global expansion into Ireland, the UK and Canada.

Commenting on the the WA launch, chief executive John de la Motte said Compass' software would allow teachers to pay closer attention to students by automating the administrative tasks involved in the day-to-day of school life.

“The expansion of our operations in Perth is an exciting step forward in our goal to bring high-skilled technology opportunities to teachers, students and parents across Australia and the world,” he said.

Compass Education’s arrival in the state comes after reported technical issues experienced by Civica, which in 2016 had won a $32 million contract from the Department of Education to overhaul software in around 800 of the state's public schools.

It joins 2015 Rising Star award winner SEQTA Software, which works with Carmel School, Corpus Christi College and Scotch College, in the state’s edutech sector.

Already, the company's software has been implemented by Bob Hawke College during its pre-enrolment phase, as well as by Shenton College in its daily operations.

Shenton College associate principal Chris Hill said he believed the technology would simplify and unify the school’s administration and operations.

“We can’t afford to be using concurrent systems that don’t interact and talk to each other,” he said.

“We’ve incrementally brought our community into the Compass ecosystem so everything is in one place.”

Compass Education's $60 million capital raise was the first since the company was founded a decade ago.

A spokesperson for the company said the company was not currently speaking with other investors.