M&A Moves: Fintech company Goodworld has acquired Cheerful Giving

M&A Moves is a Technical.ly column where we highlight D.C.-area companies completing mergers and making acquisitions to scale their businesses. Have a submission? Email us at dc@technical.ly and tell us why it belongs in the roundup.

D.C.-based Goodworld has acquired Cheerful Giving.

Goodworld, a five-year-old charitable giving fintech company based in WeWork K Street, has acquired Denver’s Cheerful Giving for an undisclosed amount. Cheerful Giving launched in 2016 as a charity tech startup under the name of Bstow, Inc. before rebranding to Cheerful Giving on Feb. 3.

With this acquisition, Goodworld has launched an all-in-one charitable giving platform.

“We are moving forward as one company under the Goodworld brand but maintaining a Cheerful Giving line of products under the larger Goodworld brand that offers all in one giving, including social donations,” Goodworld cofounder and CEO Dale Pfeifer told Technical.ly.

We are so excited to announce that @Goodworld has acquired @GetCheerful Giving🥳🎉
Together, we have joined forces to revolutionize philanthropic giving🌎💕
Read: https://t.co/bUTFbGbFgY#ForceForGood #MondayMotivation #Cheerful #Goodworld #SocialGood #Impact #Philanthropy pic.twitter.com/JiFPOAiAbx

— Goodworld (@Goodworldme) February 3, 2020

The new platform is equipped with customer relation management and foundational donor management tools. Though it’ll be launched globally, the platform is only available in the U.S. currently.

“Soon people won’t be going to a donation page on a nonprofit’s website to give,” Pfeifer said in a statement. “Donations will happen instantly as people shop, interact with friends on social media, attend an event, or otherwise encounter a cause that inspires them during their day.”

Richie Kendall, former Cheerful Giving CEO, has transitioned to Goodworld’s chief experience officer, and joins Pfeifer and COO John Gossart as cofounders of the company. Fernando Bandeira, former CTO of Cheerful Giving, also joins the Goodworld leadership and will now lead as the company’s chief innovation officer. Goodworld reports having 15 employees, including those who joined from Cheerful Giving.

K12 acquires Denver-based Galvanize.

Herndon, Virginia-based K12, provider of online education programs for grade school students, has closed on its acquisition of Denver-based Galvanize, a prominent coworking space, tech training provider and coding school. K12 acquired Galvanize for approximately $165 million in an all-cash transaction that closed on Jan. 27, according to a press release.

“This acquisition expands our vision for career education to go beyond high school by developing talent and capabilities for learners of all ages and backgrounds,” said K12 CEO and Board Chairman Nate Davis in a statement. “Whether someone is discovering career options, trying to switch fields, honing their job skills, or learning new skills in pursuit of a new opportunity, we want to help ensure all learners have an equal shot at a rewarding career.”

Galvanize has eight campuses across the U.S., offers full-time and part-time online coding bootcamps, and has an alumni base of more than 8,000 technologists. Since its inception in 2000, K12 has served more than 13,000 students nationally through its programming. K12 will manage Galvanize as its parent company.

Whitney, Bradley & Brown acquires Decisive Analytics Corporation.

Whitney, Bradley & Brown (WBB), a Reston, Virginia-based provider of program management and consulting services, has acquired Arlington-based Decisive Analytics Corporation (DAC), a provider of advanced engineering and analytical support to the U.S. Department of Defense and intelligence agencies.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but according to a press release, this acquisition deal brings the combined company to 1,000 employees.

“DAC is a leading provider of mission critical services with a sterling reputation that has been cultivated through 20 years of prior performance serving the United States government,” said WBB CEO Robert Olsen in a press release. “This acquisition builds on WBB’s organic growth and allows domain expertise within critical capabilities including program management, systems engineering, vehicle integration and prototyping, cybersecurity, data analytics and development.”

WBB currently has job openings in cybersecurity, analytics, engineering and more in the D.C. area.

Appian has acquired Spain-based Novayre Solutions.

Tysons, Virginia-based Appian, provider of an automation platform that accelerates the creation of high-impact business applications, has acquired Spain-based Novayre Solutions for an undisclosed amount.

Novayre Solutions is the developer of the Jidoka robotic process automation (RPA) platform. With this acquisition, Appian is now a one-stop automation shop, equipped with workflow, AI and RPA solutions. Organizations will be able to access Appian’s solutions through the cloud, and to manage robotic workforces from RPA vendors, a press release states.

“Our shared vision for automation makes this a natural fit for Novayre. By joining forces with Appian, we will make it easier for companies to adopt and deploy RPA at enterprise scale,” said Novayre CEO Víctor Ayllón in a statement.