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OpenGov Builds AI, Workflow Power Via Ignatius Acquisition

OpenGov, which gained major backing last year from Cox Enterprises, has made its 10th acquisition. Ignatius technology helps public agencies deal with grants, infrastructure, compliance and disaster-related operations.

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OpenGov has bought Ignatius, a company that seeks to help public agencies automate forms and reduce workflow complexities for such areas as grants, disaster recovery and administration with its “dynamic low-code” platform.

Terms were not disclosed.

The Ignatius platform will help OpenGov offer its clients “the ability to rapidly generate custom and secure government apps using natural language prompts and AI inferencing capabilities,” according to the statement announcing the deal.

This new acquisition — the 10th for OpenGov — fits in the company’s wider AI strategy, Chief Strategy Officer Ammiel Kamon told Government Technology.

Over the past few years OpenGov has debuted AI-powered tools for the company’s offerings in such areas as procurement, asset and budgeting management, and permitting and licensing.

Just more than a year ago, Cox Enterprises became a majority shareholder in OpenGov, giving the company a $1.8 billion valuation.

As Kamon described it, OpenGov will use this acquisition to offer more efficient workflows for government activities.

What he called “multiparty workflows” are common in government, given the regulatory and other complexities of public-sector business. That has resulted, he said, in agencies awarding “very large service contracts” with consultants to help deal with those complications.

Ignatius technology can offer OpenGov clients the ability to more efficiently generate grant applications and other features of public-sector life with the help of artificial intelligence.

“Now we are able to cater to a much wider array of tailored workflows,” Kamon said. “Think of it as like a custom suit that is made for you.”

OpenGov says it serves more than 2,000 U.S. communities.

Ignatius, based in Rhode Island, was founded in 2021.

Ignatius founder Mark Della Volpe and COO Graeme Ownjazayeri will take on leadership roles in the wake of the acquisition.
Thad Rueter writes about the business of government technology. He covered local and state governments for newspapers in the Chicago area and Florida, as well as e-commerce, digital payments and related topics for various publications. He lives in Wisconsin.
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