The Quilt
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
The Quilt firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Quilt
- Legal name
- The Quilt, Inc.
- Website
- https://thequilt.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Quilt industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Research and Education Network Coalition Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Professional Organizations (81392)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)
Keywords
Where The Quilt is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Quilt business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: The Quilt generates revenue through annual membership dues from Full, Associate, and Affiliate members. Full membership dues are $20,215 (2026), Associate dues are $10,930 (2026), and Affiliate dues are $3,165 (2026).
- Collective Purchasing Programs: The Quilt leverages collective purchasing power to enable members to purchase advanced network services, technology (VMware), and commodity internet services at discounted rates through consortium agreements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Full Membership for non-profit regional research and education networks |
| Subscription | Annual | Associate Membership for organizations transitioning to full membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Affiliate Membership for aligned organizations providing R&E support services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
The Quilt product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Quilt is a national coalition of 43 non-profit U.S. regional research and education networks that collectively purchases advanced network services, technology, and commodity internet on behalf of its members, and provides advocacy, training, workshops, and collaboration forums to support R&E networking. Its core commercial offerings are consortium convenience pricing programs (Commodity Internet Services, Mobile Beacon wireless broadband, VMware and related services) that deliver discounted infrastructure to educational and community institutions.
Product overview
The Quilt is a national coalition of non-profit regional research and education networks offering a portfolio of programs and resources rather than a unified software product. Its offerings include: the Commodity Internet Services (CIS) Program for collective IP transit purchasing; the Mobile Beacon Convenience Pricing Program for affordable wireless broadband; the Digital Opportunities Program certificate for digital inclusion training; the VMware Convenience Pricing Program for cloud infrastructure procurement; the Networking CEO Round Table for peer collaboration; and Quilt R&E Community Workshops for operational excellence. Supporting resources include network maps, NSF grant writing resources, state broadband program advisory resources, and The Quilt Circle annual publication.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commodity Internet Services (CIS) Program A collective purchasing program that enables Quilt member regional R&E networks to procure advanced commodity IP-transit and bandwidth services at discounted rates through consortium-negotiated agreements with approved vendors. The 2026 RFP cycle produced 4.1 Tbps of collectively purchased committed commodity bandwidth.
- Mobile Beacon Convenience Pricing Program A consortium agreement providing Quilt member networks access to affordable wireless broadband services—including mobile broadband, fixed wireless, static IP, and eduroam-compatible connectivity—for schools, libraries, healthcare organizations, and nonprofit community institutions.
- Digital Opportunities Program Certificate A professional certificate program developed with Arizona State University, The Marconi Society, and Merit Network that builds expertise in digital inclusion, broadband policy, and technology access—structured as five modules and priced at $1,500 per participant.
- VMware by Broadcom & Related Services Convenience Pricing Program A consortium-based pricing program that enables Quilt members to procure VMware and related services (HPE, Palo Alto Networks, Dell Technologies, AWS, Veeam) at discounted rates, distributed through Carahsoft as The Quilt's selected channel partner for publicly-missioned institutions.
- Networking CEO Round Table A peer-collaboration forum composed of CEO representatives from Quilt member organizations that collects and analyzes business information, identifies operational best practices, documents collective knowledge, and collaborates on services supporting research and education constituencies.
- Quilt R&E Community Workshops Educational workshops promoting collaboration, best-practices exchange, and operational excellence among Quilt member networks, covering fiber procurement and lighting, network operations, peering strategies, and telepresence applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Members have saved over $254 million on Commodity Internet Services since 2002 through Quilt-negotiated rates
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Quilt
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Quilt technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Quilt partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Mobile BeaconcoreNational partnership agreement for Mobile Beacon to market and provide affordable wireless broadband solutions (mobile broadband, fixed wireless, static IP, eduroam-compatible connectivity) to The Quilt's 42 member networks and the institutions they serve. The partnership aims to extend connectivity beyond traditional fiber footprint to rural districts, community health clinics, library branches, and field research stations.
- CarahsoftcoreCarahsoft serves as The Quilt's selected distribution partner for VMware by Broadcom and related services (HPE, Palo Alto Networks, Dell Technologies, AWS, Veeam). Provides world-class customer support and delivery of VMware solutions for publicly-missioned institutions supported by Quilt's R&E network community.
- Arizona State UniversitymajorCollaboration partner for the Digital Opportunities Program, a certificate program helping equip individuals with skills in technology and policy to close the digital divide.
- The Marconi SocietymajorCollaboration partner for the Digital Opportunities Program, working to build expertise in digital inclusion and broadband policy.
- Merit NetworkmajorCollaboration partner for the Digital Opportunities Program, supporting digital inclusion workforce development.
- eduroamcoreThe Mobile Beacon partnership enables Quilt members to extend eduroam Wi-Fi roaming service beyond traditional campus environments. Mobile Beacon's wireless services are compatible with eduroam and integrate with RADIUS authentication workflows.
- Internet2coreNational research network partner. Quilt members provide direct access to Internet2 and other national and international research networks. Maps show Internet2 overlay network coverage.
- National LambdaRailcoreNational research network infrastructure. Some Quilt members like SC-REN provide direct access to the National LambdaRail.
- National Science Foundation (NSF)coreNSF provides grants supporting Quilt programs including the EAGER: Regional Cyberinfrastructure Connect Days Pilot ($293,353) and the 2026 NSF Campus Cyberinfrastructure PI Workshop ($120,481).
- AIHEC (American Indian Higher Education Consortium)minorAffiliate member supporting Tribal College and University participation in Quilt workshops and programs.
- EDUCAUSEminorAffiliate member and partner in higher education technology community.
- ESnet (Energy Sciences Network)coreAffiliate member providing national research network infrastructure for energy sciences. Co-hosted ESnet Science Engagement Workshop for Regional Networks.
- HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise)majorRelated service offered through The Quilt's VMware Convenience Pricing Program, competitively bid as one of five related services.
- Palo Alto NetworksmajorRelated service offered through The Quilt's VMware Convenience Pricing Program, competitively bid as one of five related services.
- Dell TechnologiesmajorRelated service offered through The Quilt's VMware Convenience Pricing Program, competitively bid as one of five related services.
- AWS (Amazon Web Services)majorRelated service offered through The Quilt's VMware Convenience Pricing Program, competitively bid as one of five related services.
- VeeammajorRelated service offered through The Quilt's VMware Convenience Pricing Program, competitively bid as one of five related services.
- CENICcoreCalifornia Research and Education Network (CalREN) operator and Quilt member. Developed CENIC Sentinel disaster recovery solution using Mobile Beacon connectivity to restore CalREN access during emergencies.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Quilt competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- EDUCAUSE: Non-profit higher education technology association serving a broader IT mission across universities. EDUCAUSE is an Affiliate Member of The Quilt and operates a wider portfolio of programs, but overlaps significantly in serving U.S. higher education technology leadership.
- Coalition for Networked Information (CNI): Non-profit organization focused on the transformative use of networked information technology in the academic community. CNI shares The Quilt's higher-education networking advocacy role but operates as a broader, lower-scale membership organization.
Regional players
- GÉANT: Europe's pan-European research and education networking organization. GÉANT is a direct functional peer (coalition of national R&E networks operating advanced cyberinfrastructure), but operates in a different geography and does not directly compete with The Quilt in the U.S.
- AARNet: Australia's national research and education network. AARNet provides comparable advanced networking services to Australian universities and research bodies, making it a regional functional peer of The Quilt.
- CANARIE: Canada's national research and education network organization. CANARIE mirrors The Quilt's coalition model in a different geography and offers comparable programs for Canadian universities and research institutions.
Direct peers
- Merit Network: Michigan-based non-profit regional research and education network and Quilt member. Merit collaborates on The Quilt's Digital Opportunities Program and shares the same operating model: a state-wide R&E network providing advanced connectivity and services to educational institutions.
- Internet2: U.S.-based non-profit national research and education network providing backbone connectivity to universities and research institutions. Internet2 directly partners with The Quilt's regional networks to extend services and is co-listed as a Core Technology/Integration partner; both serve overlapping U.S. R&E constituencies.
- CENIC (Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California): California's regional research and education network (CalREN) operator and a Quilt member. CENIC operates comparable collective purchasing, network services, and disaster recovery offerings, and is a direct peer in R&E networking aggregation.
- ESnet (Energy Sciences Network): DOE-funded national research network operated by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. ESnet is an Affiliate Member of The Quilt and co-hosted an ESnet Science Engagement Workshop; both organizations serve U.S. research and education networking needs through national-scale infrastructure.
- Internet2 NET+: Internet2's cloud-services program offering negotiated access to SaaS and cloud platforms for R&E institutions. NET+ competes with Quilt's VMware Convenience Pricing Program and related services for the same member constituency.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Quilt social profiles
Digital presenceThe Quilt financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Quilt leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Quilt funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Quilt 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 The Quilt
What does The Quilt do?
The Quilt is a national coalition of 43 non-profit U.S. regional research and education networks that collectively purchases advanced network services, technology, and commodity internet on behalf of its members, and provides advocacy, training, workshops, and collaboration forums to support R&E networking. Its core commercial offerings are consortium convenience pricing programs (Commodity Internet Services, Mobile Beacon wireless broadband, VMware and related services) that deliver discounted infrastructure to educational and community institutions.
Is The Quilt a public or private company?
The Quilt is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Quilt founded?
The Quilt was founded in 2000. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Quilt based?
The Quilt is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Quilt make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are collective Purchasing Programs.
Who are The Quilt's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are EDUCAUSE and Coalition for Networked Information (CNI). Regional players are GÉANT, AARNet and CANARIE. Direct peers are Merit Network, Internet2, CENIC (Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California), ESnet (Energy Sciences Network) and Internet2 NET+.
Does The Quilt have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Quilt.
What industry is The Quilt in?
The Quilt's product category is Research and Education Network Coalition Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAEAL, Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.