PSG's investment in the Element451 student engagement platform aims to expand the community of 250+ client schools that have already transformed how they engage and support students across their educational journey.

Element451, a leading AI-first student engagement platform transforming higher education recruitment and retention, today announced a strategic investment from PSG, a leading growth equity firm partnering with software and technology-enabled services companies. The investment aims to position the company to meet the growing demand for AI-powered student engagement solutions in higher education and other learning-based settings.

"At a time when institutions face unprecedented challenges in recruiting and retaining students, the need for scalable, personalized engagement has never been more critical," said Ardis Kadiu, CEO and founder of Element451. "For over five years, we've developed AI solutions that aim to empower institutions to create meaningful connections with students while reducing the administrative burden on staff. Our partnership with PSG will accelerate our ability to meet this urgent market need."

Element451's momentum is evidenced by 346% growth in total customers since 2021. The platform leverages advanced AI to help transform how institutions engage with students throughout their educational journey, from providing 24/7 personalized responses to student inquiries to automatically creating and optimizing recruitment campaigns based on individual student behavior and preferences.

"In our view, Element451 stands out in the education technology landscape for its innovative approach to solving a critical challenge: how to deliver personalized attention to students while maximizing staff efficiency," said Rick Essex, Managing Director at PSG. "We're thrilled to partner with Ardis Kadiu and the entire Element451 team as they continue to develop solutions that help institutions create meaningful connections with students at scale."

"From our perspective, the higher education landscape has fundamentally shifted, with students expecting instant, personalized interactions at every touchpoint, while institutions struggle with limited resources and increasing enrollment pressures," continued Kadiu. "Element451 was built for this moment – providing institutions with the AI-powered tools they need to deliver the kind of persistent, personalized attention that drives enrollment and student success. PSG's partnership will help accelerate our mission of making sophisticated, AI-powered student engagement accessible to institutions."

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal advisor to PSG. Hutchinson PLLC served as legal advisor and Vista Point Advisors acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Element451.

About Element451

Element451 is an AI-first CRM and student engagement platform designed to simplify and personalize every interaction across the student journey. It adapts to the unique needs of each student, creating tailored communications that drive engagement without adding complexity for staff. By leveraging advanced AI, institutions can move beyond disconnected systems and inefficient processes, building meaningful connections with students at every stage—making personalized student engagement achievable, effective, and truly student-centric.

About PSG

PSG is a growth equity firm that partners with software and technology-enabled services companies to help them navigate transformational growth, capitalize on strategic opportunities and build strong teams. Having backed over 140 companies and facilitated over 500 add-on acquisitions, PSG brings extensive investment experience, deep expertise in software and technology, and a firm commitment to collaborating with management teams. Founded in 2014, PSG operates out of offices in Boston, Kansas City, London, Madrid, Paris and Tel-Aviv. For more information, visit www.psgequity.com.

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