Crocus
Crocus LLC is a Latina-owned, Washington, DC-based EdTech firm (founded 2021) that provides data management, interoperability, and equity-focused analytics solutions to U.S. state education agencies, K-12 districts, educator preparation programs, and higher education institutions, combining consulting services with a four-product SaaS portfolio.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Crocus does
Crocus LLC is a Latina-owned, Washington, DC-based EdTech consulting and software firm founded in January 2021 that provides data management and interoperability solutions to the U.S. education sector. The company serves state departments of education, K-12 school districts, educator preparation programs, higher education institutions, and education-focused nonprofits, implementing open-source data standards — primarily Ed-Fi ODS/API, CEDS (Common Education Data Standards), and 1EdTech — alongside its proprietary Data Wellness Framework™ methodology. Crocus has completed more than 200 projects across 32 states and reports an 85% client re-engagement rate, evidencing institutional stickiness in a niche where deep standards expertise is scarce.
The company has built a portfolio of four proprietary software products targeting distinct education data pain points: Guided Insight (an equity-driven college readiness decision-support tool), the Educator Talent Pipeline Toolkit (a framework for the educator lifecycle), InsightBoard (an equity data hub aggregating statewide and district-level comparative analytics across demographics, performance, taxation, and human capital), and EdPrep (a data management portal for educator preparation programs). Crocus also developed and open-sourced the Ed-Fi Educator Preparation Data Model (EPDM), a standards contribution that elevates the firm's standing in the Ed-Fi Alliance community. Technical delivery is supported by AWS and Microsoft cloud partnerships and Ed-Fi ODS/API and API consumer certifications.
Commercially, Crocus operates a hybrid revenue model combining professional services (data strategy, governance, technical implementation, and data management consulting) with emerging recurring software subscriptions across its four-product family. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; contracts are custom and multi-year, and government/education clients can procure the firm via direct enterprise sales or through the Equalis Group contracting vehicle (EQ-111519-06A) for Educational Data, Analytics, and Consultative Solutions. The firm is led by founder Ana Fabiola Quintana (President & CEO) and holds CBE, WOSB, EDWOSB, MBE, and DBE certifications, providing material advantages in set-aside public-sector procurement.
Crocus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Crocus
- Legal name
- Crocus LLC
- Website
- https://crocusllc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Crocus LLC is a Latina-owned, Washington, DC-based EdTech firm (founded 2021) that provides data management, interoperability, and equity-focused analytics solutions to U.S. state education agencies, K-12 districts, educator preparation programs, and higher education institutions, combining consulting services with a four-product SaaS portfolio.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Crocus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Technology Services
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Regional Education Service Agencies (ESAs/BOCES/Intermediate Units) (EDADABAC)
Keywords
Where Crocus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Crocus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consulting and Professional Services: Crocus provides consulting services across data strategy, governance, technical implementation, and data management. Services are delivered through engagements with state education agencies, school districts, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations, likely on a project or retainer basis.
- Software Products and Platforms: Crocus offers a family of products including Guided Insight (college readiness tool), Insight Board (equity data hub), Educator Talent Pipeline Toolkit, and EdPrep data management portal. These may be licensed or subscribed to by educational organizations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise pricing based on scope of engagement |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Crocus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Crocus provides EdTech consulting and data management solutions for the U.S. education sector, delivering services through its proprietary Data Wellness Framework™ (Data Strategy & Governance, Technical Implementation, Data Management & Literacy) and a family of equity-focused products (Guided Insight, InsightBoard, Educator Talent Pipeline Toolkit, EdPrep). Core work centers on implementing open-source education data standards (Ed-Fi ODS/API, CEDS, 1EdTech) for state departments of education, K-12 districts, educator preparation programs, higher education institutions, and nonprofit education organizations.
Product overview
Crocus offers a unified family of EdTech products (Crocus Family of Products) designed to support educators with informed decision-making to solve complex problems and deliver transformative outcomes. The portfolio includes four core products: Guided Insight (P1) for equity-driven college readiness planning; InsightBoard (P3) as an equity data hub providing comparative analytics across statewide and district-level data; Educator Talent Pipeline Toolkit (P2) for building capacity across the educator talent pipeline; and EdPrep (P4) for educator preparation data management and program improvement. The products are data-driven tools that enable organizations to foster a culture of continuous improvement with a focus on measurable, results-oriented outcomes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Guided Insight: An equity-driven college readiness tool - a decision-support product for college readiness planning built for school administrators to evaluate how students in their programs actually perform in postsecondary education.
- InsightBoard
- Educator Talent Pipeline Toolkit
- EdPrep
Products and services
- Guided Insight (P1) An equity-driven college readiness decision-support tool that enables school administrators to evaluate how students in their programs and services perform in postsecondary education. Positioned as the only tool of its kind focused on equity-driven college readiness planning.
- InsightBoard (P3) An equity data hub providing comprehensive comparative analytics that brings together statewide, district-level staffing, student, and operations data across demographics, performance, taxation and revenue, elections, human capital, and spending.
- Educator Talent Pipeline Toolkit (P2) A framework for designing and building capacity for improving outcomes across the entirety of the educator talent pipeline from hiring and succession planning through professional growth and school improvement.
- EdPrep (P4) A data management portal developed by experts for educator preparation effectiveness and program improvement, providing staff with a multi-dimensional, holistic picture of program enrollment, candidate progress, and certification.
- Data Wellness Framework™ Services Professional services delivered via Crocus's proprietary Data Wellness Framework™ across three stages: (1) Data Strategy and Governance — diagnosing and optimizing data strategy, policies, and processes; (2) Technical Implementation — implementing systems and designing data integrations to modernize infrastructure; (3) Data Management and Literacy — providing tools, artifacts, and knowledge to manage data and drive equitable student outcomes. Delivered to state education agencies, K-12 districts, educator preparation programs, colleges, universities, and nonprofits.
Quantifiable outcome
- 85% client re-engagement rate
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Crocus
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Crocus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature6 records
Crocus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- MicrosoftcoreCrocus is a Microsoft Partner, leveraging Microsoft's technology stack and partner ecosystem to deliver education data solutions. The partnership enables Crocus to access enterprise-level infrastructure and co-sell with Microsoft to education clients.
- Ed-Fi AllianceflagshipAs an Ed-Fi implementation partner, Crocus has developed deep expertise in Ed-Fi data standards, earned multiple Ed-Fi Community Awards (Partner of the Year 2022, Technical Contributor of the Year 2020, 2021), and contributed to the Ed-Fi ODS Platform and API ecosystem. Crocus developed the Educator Preparation Data Model (Ed-Fi™ EPDM) for use across universities.
- AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreCrocus is an AWS Partner, utilizing AWS cloud infrastructure to host and deliver education data solutions. The partnership provides technical depth for implementing scalable, cloud-based education analytics platforms.
- CEDS (Common Education Data Standards)coreCrocus implements CEDS data standards to improve interoperability and standardization of education data across client implementations. CEDS is a U.S. Department of Education initiative.
- 1EdTech (formerly IMS Global Learning Consortium)coreCrocus implements 1EdTech standards (formerly IMS Global) for education technology interoperability, ensuring their solutions meet industry-wide data exchange standards.
- SETDA (State Educational Technology Directors Association)minorCrocus is listed as a SETDA partner, providing education technology expertise to SETDA members and accessing a network of state educational technology directors.
- Knowledge AllianceminorPartnership with Knowledge Alliance to collaborate on education data initiatives and policy work, leveraging mutual expertise in education technology and data use.
- Equalis GroupcoreCrocus is awarded a spot on Equalis Group contracting vehicle EQ-111519-06A for Educational Data, Analytics, and Consultative Solutions, enabling government and education clients to procure Crocus services through established contracting mechanisms.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Crocus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Renaissance Learning: Established K-12 analytics and assessment vendor with deep district relationships. Touches Crocus's space through student outcome analytics but operates across a much wider product surface.
- PowerSchool: Dominant K-12 SIS and data platform serving the majority of US districts and many state agencies. Competes with Crocus for state-level data modernization deals but at vastly larger scale across a broader product portfolio.
- Instructure (Canvas): Major education technology platform with LMS, assessment, and data interoperability products. Overlaps Crocus on data-standards implementation and higher-ed institutional customers but as a broad incumbent.
Direct peers
- Panorama Education: Provides K-12 analytics on equity, social-emotional learning, and student success — overlapping Crocus's equity-analytics positioning and customer base of districts and states.
- Illuminate Education: Provides K-12 data management, assessment, and analytics solutions to districts and states. Closely comparable to Crocus in serving education agencies with data integration and equity-focused reporting, though at significantly larger scale.
- Certica Solutions: Specializes in K-12 data interoperability, Ed-Fi implementations, and analytics — directly overlapping Crocus's core competency in education data standards and integration services.
- Education Elements: Education consulting and technology services firm supporting districts and states with personalized learning, equity, and data-driven decision making — a comparable boutique EdTech consulting model.
- Public Consulting Group: Large public-sector consulting firm with a dedicated education practice delivering data, technology, and program services to state agencies and school districts — directly comparable on customer base and service mix.
- Battelle for Kids: Nonprofit that partners with states and districts on educator effectiveness and equity-focused data initiatives — closely aligned with Crocus's educator pipeline and equity analytics work.
Others
- Ed-Fi Alliance: Nonprofit standards body governing the Ed-Fi data standard that Crocus implements. Not a competitor but the foundational ecosystem on which Crocus's services depend.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Crocus social profiles
Digital presenceCrocus compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Crocus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Crocus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Crocus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Crocus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Crocus
What does Crocus do?
Crocus provides EdTech consulting and data management solutions for the U.S. education sector, delivering services through its proprietary Data Wellness Framework™ (Data Strategy & Governance, Technical Implementation, Data Management & Literacy) and a family of equity-focused products (Guided Insight, InsightBoard, Educator Talent Pipeline Toolkit, EdPrep). Core work centers on implementing open-source education data standards (Ed-Fi ODS/API, CEDS, 1EdTech) for state departments of education, K-12 districts, educator preparation programs, higher education institutions, and nonprofit education organizations.
Is Crocus a public or private company?
Crocus is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Crocus founded?
Crocus was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Crocus based?
Crocus is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Crocus make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Consulting and Professional Services are the primary driver. The others are software Products and Platforms.
Who are Crocus's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Renaissance Learning, PowerSchool and Instructure (Canvas). Direct peers are Panorama Education, Illuminate Education, Certica Solutions, Education Elements, Public Consulting Group and Battelle for Kids. Ed-Fi Alliance is listed as an others.
Does Crocus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Crocus.
What industry is Crocus in?
Crocus's product category is Education Technology Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADABAC, Regional Education Service Agencies (ESAs/BOCES/Intermediate Units). Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7370.