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<\/p>\nOver a decade ago, Saravana Pat Bhava founded Tampa-based educational technology company Pikmykid. It stemmed from a profound personal experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The wrong child was guided to his car in a school pick-up line. There were no tools or techniques to help staff navigate the dismissal process, which Bhava calls the \u201cweakest link of the safety chain.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This \u201cchaos\u201d made him determined to find a solution to fix the \u201cbroken system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pikmykid\u2019s software allows educators and institution leaders to manage dismissals and reunification, provide digital hall passes and send out emergency alerts. Additionally, the platform can help distribute school-wide messages.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The product is designed for K-12 public, private and charter institutions. Additionally, after-school programs, camps, preschools and daycares can utilize the system.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After years of expansion, Pikmykid was acquired by Atlanta-based safety solutions company Centegix last month. The deal was announced Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been growing pretty nicely, 25 to 30% year-over-year, and are in all 50 states with over 7,000 schools,\u201d Bhava explained. \u201cEven with our pace of growth over the past 10 years, we have barely touched about 2% of schools nationwide.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Saravana \u201cPat\u201d Bhava. Photo provided.<\/p>\n
In 2025, Pikmykid acquired visitor management system Visitu to advance its mission. Additionally, the platform can help oversee student attendance, emergency response and school communication.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pikmykid\u2019s success led the team to explore \u201ca major cash infusion\u201d or a partnership with another educational technology company. Centegix\u2019s \u201cmarket share,\u201d Bhava said, was a factor in the decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While Centegix creates software, it \u201cfocuses mostly on the hardware side of things.\u201d One of the organization\u2019s products is a wearable panic button that school staff members can press when an emergency happens. Once they click it, the device will alert first responders and discreetly give them the educator\u2019s location.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bhava said that the partnership with Centegix can help provide a comprehensive and integrated solution for clients. \u201cWe\u2019re going after the same market and the same ideal customer profile but yet we don\u2019t overlap and step on each other\u2019s toes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pikmykid is not Centegix\u2019s first school-focused acquisition. The organization purchased K-12 visitor management solution company Ident-A-Kid in 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSchool safety doesn\u2019t begin in an emergency \u2014 it\u2019s built into every moment of the school day,\u201d said Centegix CEO Brent Cobb in a prepared statement. \u201cBy joining forces with Pikmykid, we\u2019re connecting the operational moments that schools manage every day with the critical response capabilities they rely on when it matters most. From arrival to dismissal, schools will be able to manage student safety through one platform.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pikmykid will continue to have a presence in Tampa, Bhava explained. \u201cWe are just part of a larger organization with more muscle and people on the ground to serve more schools.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He believes the acquisition demonstrates the impact of community.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were conceived, built and grown in the Tampa Bay area with the support of local entrepreneurship organizations,\u201d Bhava said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a win for everybody who helped us get to this level. It wasn\u2019t an overnight success.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n