Cypad
Cypad provides cloud-based catering management software for UK schools, multi-academy trusts, local authorities, and caterers, offering meal ordering, kitchen operations, allergen management, and cashless POS via Kitchen Manager and BlueRunner within the ParentPay Group ecosystem.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
Cypad firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cypad
- Legal name
- ParentPay Group
- Website
- https://parentpay.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cypad provides cloud-based catering management software for UK schools, multi-academy trusts, local authorities, and caterers, offering meal ordering, kitchen operations, allergen management, and cashless POS via Kitchen Manager and BlueRunner within the ParentPay Group ecosystem.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cypad industry classification
Industry- Product category
- School Catering Management Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (51321), Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Student Information Systems (SIS) & Master Data Management (EDAJAHAA)
Keywords
Where Cypad is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Cypad business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- School Catering Management Software: Subscription-based software licensing for school catering management solutions, sold to schools, MATs, local authorities, and caterers. Part of the broader ParentPay Group product portfolio that includes MIS, payments, finance, and other educational management tools.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Quote-based enterprise pricing for educational institutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Cypad product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cypad is a tablet-based meal ordering and kitchen management platform for UK schools. It provides Cypad Kitchen Manager for catering operations, comprehensive allergen management, and a cashless catering whiteboard meal-selection system, and is augmented by BlueRunner for digital meal ordering and cashless POS. Sold as subscription software to schools, multi-academy trusts, local authorities, and external caterers.
Product overview
ParentPay Group offers a comprehensive platform-plus-modules architecture for the education sector. The portfolio centers on SIMS MIS (including SIMS Next Gen for cloud-based administration), integrated with specialized solutions including ParentPay for payments, Cypad for catering management (encompassing Kitchen Manager and BlueRunner for cashless POS), Finance/FMS (including Finance New Generation), Parental & Student Engagement, Timetabling, and SchoolHire for facilities hire. Additional modules include GDPRiS for data compliance, Library Management Cloud and Reading Cloud for library services, Schoolcomms for communications, and UNIT-e for post-16 education student records. The products are designed to work independently or as integrated packages, serving primary schools, secondary schools, MATs, local authorities, caterers, and post-16 education providers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SIMS Next Gen: Cloud-based management information system for schools, built on 40 years of SIMS expertise.
- Cypad Kitchen Manager
- BlueRunner
- Reading Cloud
- SchoolHire
Products and services
- Cypad Catering Management Tablet-based meal ordering and kitchen management platform for UK schools, combining Cypad Kitchen Manager for operational efficiency and BlueRunner for digital meal ordering and cashless payment processing. Targeted at schools, multi-academy trusts, local authorities, and external caterers.
Companies that use Cypad
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cypad technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Cypad partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- BESA (British Educational Suppliers Association)coreParentPay Group is a BESA member partner, distributing their education technology solutions including Cypad through the BESA network of educational suppliers across the UK.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cypad competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- PowerSchool: Large North American K–12 education technology platform with MIS, payments, and operations modules. Comparable in category to the broader ParentPay Group platform and a potential platform-level substitute if it expands deeper into UK schools and catering workflows.
- iSAMS: School management information system for UK and international independent schools, covering admissions, academics, and operations. Comparable as a school platform competitor to SIMS/ParentPay, particularly in the independent school segment.
- Bromcom: UK K–12 MIS provider with a broad school management platform. Comparable to SIMS as a core MIS in the same schools that buy Cypad, making it a substitute for the integrated ParentPay Group ecosystem.
- Arbor Education: Cloud-based MIS for UK schools and MATs, with adjacent modules spanning engagement, attendance, and operations. While not catering-specific, it competes with the broader ParentPay Group/SIMS stack and represents a potential platform substitute that could encroach on catering workflows.
- Tucasi: UK school payments and parent communication provider, comparable to ParentPay payments and Schoolcomms. Sits alongside catering in school procurement decisions and competes for the same education IT wallet.
Direct peers
- Fusion (School Foodservice Software): Provides school catering management and administration software to UK schools, MATs, and caterers. Overlaps with Cypad on menu planning, meal ordering, kitchen operations, and compliance tracking.
- WCBS (formerly SchoolGrid): UK school catering management software provider offering cashless payment, meal pre-ordering, kitchen management, and reporting tools for primary and secondary schools. Direct competitor to Cypad Kitchen Manager and BlueRunner.
- CRB Cunninghams: UK provider of cashless catering and biometric identification systems for schools, including meal ordering and allergen management. Direct competitor to Cypad's BlueRunner cashless POS and kitchen management offerings in the same UK school market.
Emerging players
- LunchBox (Meal Management Systems): School meal management and online pre-ordering platform with a UK focus. Overlaps with Cypad's pre-ordering and kitchen reporting functionality for primary schools.
Others
- SchoolHire (ParentPay Group): Sibling brand within ParentPay Group (school facilities hire/lettings software). Not a direct competitor to Cypad, but illustrates the cross-sell and product-platform synergies available to Cypad inside the same parent company.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cypad social profiles
Digital presenceCypad compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Cypad financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cypad leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cypad subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries11 records
Cypad funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cypad 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 Cypad
What does Cypad do?
Cypad is a tablet-based meal ordering and kitchen management platform for UK schools. It provides Cypad Kitchen Manager for catering operations, comprehensive allergen management, and a cashless catering whiteboard meal-selection system, and is augmented by BlueRunner for digital meal ordering and cashless POS. Sold as subscription software to schools, multi-academy trusts, local authorities, and external caterers.
Is Cypad a public or private company?
Cypad is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Cypad founded?
Cypad was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cypad based?
Cypad is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Cypad make money?
One revenue line is on record: school Catering Management Software.
Who are Cypad's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are PowerSchool, iSAMS, Bromcom, Arbor Education and Tucasi. Direct peers are Fusion (School Foodservice Software), WCBS (formerly SchoolGrid) and CRB Cunninghams. LunchBox (Meal Management Systems) is listed as an emerging player. SchoolHire (ParentPay Group) is listed as an others.
Does Cypad have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cypad.
What industry is Cypad in?
Cypad's product category is School Catering Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAHAA, Student Information Systems (SIS) & Master Data Management. Its NAICS code is 51321 and its SIC code is 7372.