MEAZURE TWICE, MERGE ONCE: A provider of online testing services and a developer of proctoring tools to catch online cheating will be merging. ProctorU, a Birmingham, Ala.-based company that develops eponymous tools, is combining with Yardstick Assessment Strategies, based in Ottawa, Canada, under a new name: Meazure Learning.
Both companies will continue to operate as distinct brands. ProctorU proctors about two million exams over a year, according to a spokesperson for the deal. Its tools are used in more than 600 higher-ed institutions, and 200 professional organizations and companies including Google, CompTIA and Chartered Accountants of Ireland.
Started in 2002, Yardstick has grown through its services through recent acquisitions. It purchased Assessment Strategies from the Canadian Nurses Association in 2017, and market research firm Banister Research in the following year. The company currently serves 90 clients across different industry and professional organizations.
“Together, we are excited to offer an unrivaled end-to-end assessment platform, capable of test development, exam delivery and the highest levels of exam integrity,” said Benjamin Cobb, Chairman of Meazure Learning in a prepared statement.
The merger is supported by a $30 million investment led by Eastside Partners, a private equity firm that has an equity stake in ProctorU. Scott McFarland, CEO of ProctorU, will retain that title as he oversees Meazure Learning.
As online assessments become commonplace across educational and professional institutions, so have investors’ interest grown. Last year, another online proctoring provider, Examity, raised $90 million in one of the biggest deals for a U.S.-based edtech company in 2019.
