Kuali

What Kuali does

Kuali, Inc. is a private, US-based vertical SaaS company that builds cloud-native software exclusively for higher education institutions. Headquartered in Lehi, Utah with 51-100 employees, the company has served the higher education market for more than 20 years and reports a customer base spanning hundreds of institutions across the US, Canada, and Mexico, including R1 research universities (Cornell, Ohio State, ASU, University of Toronto), state systems (CSU, UConn), and mid-market colleges (Gettysburg, Davidson, King's University).

The platform is organized as a modular suite spanning research administration and compliance (Kuali Research and its Sponsored Programs, Conflict Management, Export Control, Human Ethics Review, Animal Ethics Review, Biosafety Review sub-modules plus the AI-powered GrantRisk), academic operations (Academic Ops with curriculum, catalog, syllabus, and scheduling via the Ad Astra partnership), workflow automation (Kuali Build, a no-code forms and workflow tool), degree audit (Kuali Advisor), business continuity planning (Kuali Ready), student information systems (Kuali Student/Focal SIS), financial management (Kuali Financials), and the recently acquired Penji student engagement platform (rebranding as Kuali Reach). Kuali Bridge, launched in 2025, provides visual drag-and-drop ETL integration across SIS, LMS, HRIS, data warehouses, and AI platforms (ChatGPT, Azure OpenAI, Google Vertex AI). The stack is multi-tenant cloud with REST APIs and maintains SOC 2 Type II, HECVAT, TX-RAMP, WCAG 2.2 AA, FERPA, and HIPAA compliance postures.

Kuali operates on a subscription SaaS revenue model with annual, quote-based pricing per institutional customer; the modular architecture supports both individual product and bundled purchases. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales targeting CIOs, registrars, and research administrators, supplemented by the annual Kuali Days user conference and a Kuali Community peer network. The company has raised approximately $25M+ in disclosed funding, most recently a strategic investment from Banneker Partners in July 2025, and executed the Penji acquisition in June 2026 to extend into student success.

Name

Kuali

Legal name

Kuali, Inc.

Website

https://kuali.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kuali is a private vertical SaaS company that builds modular, cloud-native software exclusively for higher education institutions, spanning research administration, academic operations, workflow automation, degree audit, financial management, and student engagement, sold via direct enterprise subscription contracts to hundreds of universities and colleges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Software

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Higher Education SIS & Campus Management Systems (EDAFAEAB)

Keywords

• Higher education software
• Research administration
• Student information system
• Workflow automation
• Business continuity planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Lehi

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription-based SaaS Licensing: Kuali operates on a subscription/SaaS model where higher education institutions pay recurring fees to access its cloud-based software suite. The modular nature of the platform allows institutions to purchase individual products or bundles, with pricing varying based on institution size and selected products. The company has been creating innovative solutions for higher education for more than 20 years, indicating a mature, sustainable subscription revenue model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Kuali creates modular, cloud-based software exclusively for higher education institutions, offering a suite of solutions that includes no-code workflow automation (Kuali Build), research administration and compliance (Kuali Research), academic operations covering curriculum, catalog, and syllabus management, financial management (Kuali Financials), student information system (Kuali Student/Focal SIS), real-time degree auditing (Kuali Advisor), and business continuity planning (Kuali Ready). The platform is supported by Kuali Bridge for visual drag-and-drop integrations with campus systems and AI platforms, and the recently acquired Kuali Reach (formerly Penji) for student engagement and support services.

Product overview

Kuali is a platform-plus-modules software suite for higher education, offering cloud-based solutions across research administration, academic operations, workflow automation, financial management, student information, and business continuity. The core platform includes Kuali Build (no-code forms/workflow automation), Kuali Research (research administration & compliance suite), Kuali Academic Ops (curriculum/catalog/syllabus management with 2025 scheduling addition via Ad Astra), Kuali Financials (financial management), Kuali Student/Focal SIS (student information system), Kuali Advisor (degree auditing), and Kuali Ready (business continuity planning). Additional platform capabilities include Kuali Bridge (drag-and-drop ETL integration tool) and the acquired Penji student engagement platform (becoming Kuali Reach). The Kuali Research suite includes sub-modules for Sponsored Programs, Conflict Management, Export Control, Human Ethics Review, Animal Ethics Review, Biosafety Review, Internal Opportunities, and GrantRisk (AI-powered risk analysis). The Academic Ops suite includes Curriculum Management, Academic Catalog, and Syllabus Management. Build is available for Registrars, Research, Finance, and general departmental use. Kuali has been creating innovative solutions exclusively for higher ed for more than 20 years, with hundreds of institutional customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kuali Reach: Student engagement and support platform (formerly Penji) - helping institutions connect students with advising, tutoring, coaching, appointments, events, and support services.
• Kuali Build
• Kuali Research
• Kuali Academic Ops
• Kuali Financials
• Kuali Ready
• Kuali Advisor
• Kuali Student (Focal SIS)
• Kuali Bridge
• Kuali GrantRisk

Products and services

• Kuali Build Cloud-native, no-code forms and workflow automation platform designed specifically for higher education institutions, enabling non-technical staff to create custom forms, automate approval workflows, and integrate with campus systems (SIS, LMS, HRIS) via REST APIs. Includes FERPA/HIPAA compliance tools and reporting dashboards.
• Kuali Research Enterprise research administration and compliance suite for higher education institutions, covering sponsored programs, conflict of interest management, export control, human/animal ethics review, biosafety review, and internal funding opportunities.
• Kuali Academic Operations (Academic Ops) Integrated curriculum, catalog, syllabus, and academic scheduling management solution for higher education academic leaders, including scheduling capabilities built with Ad Astra partnership technology.
• Kuali Financials Cloud-based financial management solution tailored for higher education institutions to improve financial efficiency, manage budgets, and streamline financial operations.
• Kuali Advisor Real-time degree audit system that handles complex academic requirements, transfer credits, and evolving academic policies, providing students and advisors with clarity on degree progress.
• Kuali Ready Business continuity planning software designed exclusively for higher education institutions to create, maintain, and exercise continuity plans that protect instruction, research, and campus operations during disruptions.
• Kuali Student (Focal SIS) Modern, cloud-based Student Information System designed for flexibility, real-time data, and seamless management of the entire student lifecycle.
• Kuali Bridge Visual, drag-and-drop ETL integration tool that connects Kuali Platform products with campus systems and AI platforms, enabling no-code data movement across SIS, LMS, HRIS, data warehouses, ChatGPT, Azure OpenAI, and Google Vertex AI.
• Kuali Reach (formerly Penji) Student engagement and support platform offering appointment scheduling, communications, advising, tutoring, coaching, and event services through a unified, mobile-first experience.
• Kuali GrantRisk AI-powered risk analysis tool that helps higher education institutions identify at-risk grants and safeguard research funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% reduction in training time (4 hours to 2.5 hours)
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers34 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability2 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Penji (now Kuali Reach)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Acquisition of Penji, a student engagement and support platform, expanding Kuali's Academic Operations portfolio into student success. The platform helps institutions connect students with advising, tutoring, coaching, appointments, events, and support services. The Penji team has joined Kuali and will continue supporting customers while advancing the platform's vision for student success.
• Ad AstracoreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2025Strategic partnership to launch Kuali Academic Ops, a scheduling tool built with Ad Astra technology. This partnership enhances Kuali's academic operations suite with scheduling capabilities for course and resource planning.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ellucian: Largest SIS and higher education technology vendor (Banner, Colleague, Power Campus), serving a similar university customer base with a broad, integrated suite. The most direct head-to-head competitor in core SIS and student lifecycle management.
• Anthology: Higher education technology provider (formerly Campus Management) offering SIS, student success, and enrollment solutions. Directly comparable vertical focus and overlapping institutional customer base, now expanded with Civitas Learning for student engagement.
• Jenzabar: Higher education ERP and SIS vendor serving small-to-mid-sized colleges and universities. Direct competitor in SIS, financials, and student lifecycle with comparable vertical specialization.

Broad incumbents

• Workday: Cloud enterprise software incumbent that has expanded into higher education via Workday Student and Workday for Higher Education. Competes in SIS-adjacent and finance/HR layers with much greater scale and broader functionality.
• Oracle (PeopleSoft Campus Solutions / Oracle Student): Long-standing SIS and campus solutions vendor via PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and the newer Oracle Student Cloud. Competes directly in research administration and student information with broad enterprise scale.
• PowerSchool: Large K-12-focused education software provider that has expanded into higher education through PowerSchool Unified Classroom and Talent. Overlaps in workflow, analytics, and student information, though primarily K-12.
• Instructure (Canvas): Higher ed and K-12 learning platform company behind Canvas LMS. Adjacent rather than direct competitor, but increasingly overlapping into broader student experience and institutional workflows.
• Salesforce (Education Cloud / HEDA): CRM platform with a Higher Education Data Architecture (HEDA) and Education Cloud built for institutions. Competes in student engagement, advising, and recruitment workflows that overlap with Kuali Reach and Kuali Advisor.

Emerging players

• Ad Astra Information Systems: Higher education scheduling, space utilization, and degree planning software provider. Now a technology partner to Kuali (Academic Ops scheduling), but also an adjacent competitor in academic operations and scheduling workflows.
• Modo Labs (Anthology): Student engagement and mobile app platform for higher education institutions. Comparable to the recently acquired Penji/Kuali Reach in appointment scheduling, communications, and student support tooling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kualico
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/4606528
• Instagraminstagram.com/kuali.co
• Xx.com/Kuali

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kuali