Socrata

Socrata
Company typePrivate
IndustryData as a Service
Founded2007
FounderKevin Merritt
HeadquartersSeattle, Washington, United States
Key people
Kevin Merritt, Safouen Rabah, Matt Miszewski
ProductsOpen data, government performance management, government financial insights, data-driven government
Websitewww.socrata.com

Socrata was a business-to-government software company that sold an open data platform whose goal was to help civic developers build apps more efficiently.[1] The company was acquired by Tyler Technologies in 2018.

History

In 2007, Socrata was established in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. The company later expanded to have offices in Washington, D.C. and London, UK.

Initially known as Blist, Socrata was introduced as an online database software service provider at the DEMO 2008 conference.[2]

In 2009, the company rebranded as Socrata and shifted its focus towards serving the public sector.[3]

In 2016, Socrata formed a strategic partnership with Motorola Solutions to develop and operate CrimeReports. This resulted in a crime mapping solution being provided to over 1,200 law enforcement agencies in the US.[4]

In 2017, The Obama White House presented their budget using Socrata, Genius, and GitHub.[5]

In 2018, Socrata was acquired by Tyler Technologies.[6] A majority of the employees joined Tyler and the offices in Seattle and Washington D.C. remained open.[7]

Cost

Socrata was purchased by the City of Los Angeles for $319,000 in initial fees and $287,000 in annual fees, as reported in 2015 by Governing Magazine.

Open Data Network

In July 2014, Socrata launched the Open Data Network, a machine learning-powered initiative aimed at promoting data-centered collaboration between the public and private sectors. This network provides governments with access to various types of data, including crime data, transit data, 311 service request data, and expenditure data.[8] The San Francisco administration later incorporated the open data network into its operations.

FedRAMP

In 2017, Socrata was authorized to operate with a Moderate status under the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) of the US Government's General Services Administration (GSA) Program Management Office.[9]

In January 2008, Socrata received its initial series A round of venture capital funding, totaling $6.5 million, from Morgenthaler Ventures and Frazier Technology Ventures.[10] The company later received a series B funding round of $18 million from OpenView Venture Partners, Morgenthaler Ventures, Frazier Technology Partners, and In-Q-Tel in June 2013. In November 2014, Socrata closed a C round of funding, worth $30 million, with Sapphire Ventures as the lead investor and participation from Morgenthaler Ventures, Frazier Technology Ventures, and OpenView Venture Partners.[11][12]

References

  1. ^ "Socrata Raises $18M For Platform To Open Government Data". TechCrunch. 2013-06-26. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  2. ^ "Blist Prepares Easy Web-based Database Application". TechCrunch. 2007-11-10.
  3. ^ "Start-Up Taps Obama E-Gov Energy". National Journal. 2009-06-02. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14.
  4. ^ "Motorola and Socrata Partner to Improve Neighborhood Crime Maps for Citizens". Geekwire. 2016-03-15.
  5. ^ Oluwafemi, Bankole (2016-02-10). "Obama presents his final 2017 budget on Genius and GitHub". TechCabal. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  6. ^ "Seattle tech company Socrata bought by Tyler Technologies". The Seattle Times. 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
  7. ^ "Seattle open data startup to be acquired by Tyler Technologies". bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
  8. ^ "Socrata's Open Data Network a Hub to Connect the Public and Private Sectors". Government Technology. 2014-07-25.
  9. ^ "Socrata Clears FedRAMP, Embraces Non-Open Data". Government Technology. 2016-06-07.
  10. ^ Cook, John (2008-02-20). "Database startup Blist scores $6.5 million stake". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  11. ^ Cook, John (2013-06-26). "Socrata lands $18 million, continuing mission to unlock troves of government data". GeekWire.
  12. ^ Peters, Katherine (2013-09-03). "In-Q-Tel Investment Signals Intel Community Focus on Data Sharing". NextGov.