Sage Nonprofit Solutions (NPS) has been rebranded as Abila, after a $101.2-million deal this past March between a private equity firm and software giant Sage Group in the United Kingdom. The nonprofit element was the largest segment of three in the deal.
Accel-KKR acquired Austin, Texas-based Sage Nonprofit Solutions and funded the firm Swiftpage to acquire Sage ACT! and Sage SalesLogix. Sage Group also will have an equity stake in Swiftpage, which is a long-time Sage partner.
“Our new name, our refreshed mission and direction is all about fueling our future and growth. We have an incredible foundation from which to build from,” said Krista Endsley, CEO of Abila. Endsley was senior vice president and general manager of NPS for the past four years.
“With Accel-KKR’s backing, and a new independence, we have the opportunity to drive innovation, customer engagement, and communications — elevating and extending who we are as a company,” she said.
Accel-KKR is a technology-focused private equity firm with more than $2.3 billion in assets under management. The firm invests primarily in software and IT-enabled businesses positioned for top-line and bottom-line growth.
Endsley said Abila has more than 32,000 unique nonprofit organizations, including government entities, universities, foundations, and a variety of other 501(c)(3) organizations as customers.
Abila is on a hiring frenzy. Its current head count is 133 and will go to 150, according to Endsley. Key positions added thus far include new executive leadership in marketing, finance, and IT.
The company has developed a new logo, website and corporate identity. Abila has also redefined its product roadmap and enhanced a number of marketing initiatives to better showcase its experience and insight into nonprofits and government agencies.
“We are redefining who we are as an organization. However, our team, and their dedication to helping our clients achieve their goals, remains the core of what differentiates us in the market,” Endsley said. “While changing our brand, the underlying drivers of service remain central to what makes us distinct.”
Abila will continue to offer Sage’s nonprofit products, such as Fundraising 50, Millennium and Grants Management. Endsley said the product names will remain virtually unchanged for now, simply dropping the Sage in front of the names. Pricing has not changed. A user conference is slated for the fall.
The firm went through hundreds of possible names before settling on Abila, according to Endsley. The challenge was so few combinations of words that aren’t already taken in the space. They “leveraged the word ability,” she said.
