Navengage | Blog

Navengage Completes $1.5 Million Funding Round to Drive University Student Engagement Through Mobile Technology

Written by Navengage | Jun 28, 2023

The round, led by Nelnet, marks the company’s first major institutional investment.

 

Navengage, an education technology pioneer in student engagement mobile technology, is thrilled to announce the successful closure of its latest funding round, securing $1.5 million in institutional investment. The round, led by strategic investor Nelnet, marks a significant milestone for Navengage as it continues to help universities advance student engagement outside of the classroom.

The funding round comes on the heels of Navengage's recent partnership with Anthology, a leading provider of education solutions that support the entire learner lifecycle. The native integration enables students to tap Anthology's time-tested student engagement platform, Anthology Engage, through Navengage’s mobile app, enabling campus leaders to meet students where they are – on their mobile devices. 

Navengage’s app connects students to their university’s High-Impact Practices (HIPs) and their broader institutional community. Designed with a student-centric approach, the app includes API integrations with academic affairs, collaborative social features, and a white-labeled user experience. In an era where retention rates have been threatened across the industry, Navengage's app serves as a vital tool for institutions to demonstrate the value of HIPs that are shown to lead to greater retention, especially for first-year students. 

 

With Navengage’s app, institutions can:

  • Drive student involvement in HIPs, including events, student organizations, research, global programs, volunteerism, and career development
  • Collect and track holistic student engagement data
  • Provide a safe environment for students to find a sense of belonging within their campus communities
  • Bridge communication and awareness gaps within the institution's ecosystem
  • Promote community outreach initiatives
  • Identify and support students at risk of dropping out

 

Navengage's impressive track record includes the successful launch of the Penn State Engagement App, made official in August 2022. Having exceeded Penn State's initial user target for the pilot year with over 17,000 users to date, and garnering highly positive feedback from student users, Navengage’s mobile app has showcased its effectiveness in enhancing student engagement and fostering a vibrant campus community. 

"We are incredibly excited to announce the successful completion of our latest funding round. With this funding, we are able to help more institutions amplify their impact and transform the way students engage, connect, and access support throughout their student journeys,” said Andrew Strause, Co-Founder and CEO of Navengage.

Nelnet Campus Commerce, renowned for delivering integrated payment solutions to over 1,300 college campuses, aligns with Navengage's mission to redefine the college experience and help universities thrive in a rapidly evolving educational landscape. The funding round also welcomed the participation of Pax Momentum, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania, and experienced education technology investor Jeff Keith.

With the infusion of this capital, Navengage is poised to deepen its integration with Anthology to bring additional functionality from Engage into the app, as well as provide university admins access to holistic student data through a comprehensive analytics dashboard.

To learn more about Navengage’s mobile app, visit https://www.navengage.com/product   

 

About Navengage:

Navengage Inc. delivers leading-edge, mobile-first student engagement software that helps higher ed institutions increase student engagement and boost retention. We aim to advance student engagement technology so that colleges and universities have comprehensive, accurate, and readily available data for decision making. We are committed to engaging today's students with tomorrow's cutting-edge education technology and envision a world where every student has the opportunity to safely and successfully pursue their education. Learn more by visiting www.navengage.com