AUSTIN, TX – February 27, 2025 – Lightspeed Systems, a recognized global leader in online security, safety, and educational technology management solutions, today announced the acquisition of STOPit Solutions, a pioneer in anonymous reporting and crisis management platforms. The acquisition brings together two essential components of proactive student protection—real-time online activity monitoring and anonymous reporting—providing schools with unmatched visibility and control to address safety concerns before they escalate. Lightspeed has completed this transaction with the continued investment support of funds affiliated with Madison Dearborn Partners, a leading private equity firm based in Chicago, and Genstar Capital, a leading private equity form based on San Francisco. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
By combining STOPit’s proven anonymous reporting and emergency management platform with Lightspeed’s powerful online safety monitoring technologies, schools gain critical insights into school safety and student wellbeing to identify risks sooner, intervene faster, and prevent crises before they occur.
“To prevent school violence, we need the data and visibility to act sooner,” said Brian Thomas, Co-founder and CEO of Lightspeed Systems. “By uniting Lightspeed’s online activity monitoring with STOPit’s anonymous reporting capabilities, we are giving schools the comprehensive tools they need to detect warning signs early and take action—ensuring students have a safe and engaging learning environment, both online and on campus.”
The combined solution will provide schools and districts with:
- Unmatched Visibility and Insights: Comprehensive, real-time insights into online student activity combined with anonymous reporting give educators a clearer view of potential risks—helping them recognize warning signs and take action before issues escalate.
- Expanded Safety Resources with Human Expertise: Schools gain access to 24/7/365 human review teams that monitor flagged online activity and anonymous reports, providing expert context and rapid escalation to support student safety.
- Unified Case Management for Faster Resolution: A single, streamlined platform that connects online activity data with anonymous reports—making it easier for school staff to manage cases holistically, collaborate across teams, and resolve concerns efficiently.
- Proactive Crisis Prevention: By combining online monitoring and anonymous reporting—two critical pillars of proactive safety—schools can detect and address risks early, reducing the likelihood of crises and creating safer learning environments.
“By uniting Lightspeed’s online activity monitoring with STOPit’s anonymous reporting capabilities, we are giving schools the comprehensive tools they need to detect warning signs early and take action.”
– Brian Thomas, Co-founder and CEO of Lightspeed Systems
STOPit Solutions’ existing customers will continue to receive uninterrupted service, with expanded access to Lightspeed’s broader safety and learning solutions.
“We’re excited to take this next step toward our mission of protecting students. Joining Lightspeed Systems allows us to expand our reach and deepen our impact,” said Parkhill Mays, CEO of STOPit Solutions. “Together, we can provide a complete safety solution that brings visibility to hidden risks and empowers schools to act before issues escalate—making a real difference in students’ lives.”
With the support of MDP and Genstar, Lightspeed continues to expand its presence in the growing domestic and international K-12 web-filtering and reporting, analytics, mobile device management and classroom management market. Since 2021, the Lightspeed team launched several innovative tools, including the Lightspeed Parent Portal, Lightspeed Alert™ with 24/7/365 human review and Lightspeed Signal.
Alston & Bird served as Lightspeed’s legal counsel and Raymond James served as STOPit’s financial advisor.
The acquisition is effective immediately. Both companies are committed to ensuring a seamless transition for customers and stakeholders.
About Lightspeed Systems
With more than 25 years of serving education, Lightspeed Systems delivers the most in-depth visibility and control to power exceptional schools where students are safe and engaged; technology is compliant and easily managed; and resources are secure and optimized. Purpose-built for school networks and devices, Lightspeed’s cloud-managed solutions include the most effective web filtering, student safety monitoring, classroom management, device management, and data analytics software available. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with a European office in London, UK, Lightspeed serves over 23 million students across 31,000 schools in 43 countries, utilizing 15 million devices.
About STOPit Solutions
STOPit Solutions provides mobile, web & phone trauma-informed anonymous reporting, emergency management solutions, and crisis management services to education, communities, and workplaces across the country. STOPit supports over 1,700 school districts & our solutions have been proven effective in early warning detection for school safety threats, while also aiding at-risk students who may be in personal distress.
Amy Bennett
Chief of Staff, Lightspeed Systems
+1 503-891-7956
[email protected]
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