ARLINGTON, Va. — Dec. 6, 2021 — Symplicity Corporation, the global leader of student employability and engagement solutions and an H.I.G. Capital portfolio company, has announced the acquisition of Orbis Communications, the most trusted experiential learning solution for post-secondary institutions in Canada. With the acquisition, Symplicity expands its market share of universities and operations in the country, and offers a more expansive employer network to Canadian universities.
With over 20 years of experience, Symplicity is the leading SaaS-based platform focused on student employability, accessibility and wellness. With more than 2,000 colleges and universities using Symplicity’s platform, across more than 35 countries, Symplicity partners with institutions and employers to fuse student employability and engagement strategies with its technology platform for higher education students, career centers and university departments.
A market leader in experiential learning and outcomes technology in Canada, Orbis has an active network of more than 100 institutions, 350,000 employers and 1 million students. Headquartered in Hamilton, Canada, its platform connects post-secondary institutions, companies and candidates, bringing opportunities and students together, as well as facilitating the management of experiential learning programs.
At a time when there is both high unemployment and businesses are struggling to hire, tighter integration of higher education and career services will play a key role in bridging that gap between college to career. Critical to this integration is work-based learning and experiences outside of the classroom to build essential skills and competencies.
“If there is anything the post-pandemic world of work has shown, it is that it’s not just about jobs—there are endless job boards out there for students. It’s about preparing students for careers through meaningful experiences with work projects and skill development pathways based on the real needs of employers,” said Matthew Small, Symplicity President and CEO. “This acquisition will further enhance the combined company’s rapid growth, by significantly expanding our experiential learning capabilities globally so that we can help address the skill shortage at scale.”
“By joining Symplicity, we are aligning with an organization that shares our values and our goals,” said Cameron Ballantyne, Founding Partner at Orbis. “We look forward to continuing to provide the solutions that bind industry, post-secondary institutions, government and students in a way that meets them where they are today with what they need for tomorrow.”
The acquisition will also significantly expand Symplicity’s global network of 6 million early talent candidates and 500,000 active employers. Symplicity facilitated more than 450,000 internship placements and processed 10 million job applications in the last 12 months.
About Symplicity
Symplicity is a global leader in student employability and engagement software solutions to more than 2,000 colleges and universities. The Company’s SaaS platform supports the full student experience, including early talent recruiting, accessibility, wellness and behavioral intervention. These solutions empower higher education clients to enhance a student’s ability to stay in school, graduate and secure their first job. Learn more at www.symplicity.com.
About Orbis
At Orbis, we are on a mission to empower people with the information, technology and opportunities they need to live a future of fulfilled potential. For more than twenty years, we have supported leading universities and colleges, with data-driven experiential learning solutions and strategies that empower every graduate on their unique post-secondary journey, critical to their long-term livelihood.
About H.I.G. Capital
H.I.G. is a leading global alternative assets investment firm with over $45 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/value-added approach. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm’s current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion.
