PeopleGrove

PeopleGrove

SaaS career services for universities

Overview

PeopleGrove provides a career access platform used by colleges and universities to improve students’ and alumni’s career opportunities. Its SaaS platform connects students and alumni for mentorship, networking, career exploration, and job connections, all within the school’s system. Universities pay subscription fees to give their students and alumni access to these tools, making it easier to find internships, jobs, and mentors. The service is used by top institutions such as Stanford, USC, Michigan, Kansas, and Penn State. PeopleGrove’s impact is shown by outcomes like 33% of students reporting job offers through the platform and 57% of alumni willing to give back to their alma mater. The company is based in San Francisco with teams and remote workers in the US and India and has raised $4.7 million in Series A funding. Its goal is to help higher education institutions expand their career services and connect students and alumni with opportunities through one integrated platform.

About PeopleGrove

Simplify's Rating
Why PeopleGrove is rated
C+
Rated C on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Enterprise Software

Education

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series A

Total Funding

$11.9M

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Founded

2015

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • April 24, 2026 ADA Title II deadline drives urgent WCAG 2.1 AA compliance demand across higher ed.
  • Public institutions serving 50,000+ must immediately remediate web content and mobile applications.
  • Enrollment management teams prioritize student-facing functions, creating platform modernization opportunities.

What critics are saying

  • Handshake dominates with 1,400+ clients and superior job board scale, eroding PeopleGrove's market share.
  • Claude and GPT-5 commoditize responsible AI features, enabling free career advising bots for universities.
  • Stricter FERPA enforcement in 2026 requires opt-in alumni data sharing, risking 20-30% client exodus.

What makes PeopleGrove unique

  • Serves 500+ institutions and 98% of US clinical programs with integrated experiential learning.
  • Acquired PathwayU and Student Opportunity Center to build comprehensive career lifecycle platform.
  • CORE for Education uses responsible AI for accreditation reporting and field supervision workflows.

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Funding

Total Funding

$11.9M

Below

Industry Average

Funded Over

5 Rounds

Series A funding typically happens when a startup has a product and some customers, and now needs funding to scale. This money is usually used to grow the team, expand marketing, and improve the product. Venture capital firms are frequently the main investors here.
Series A Funding Comparison
Below Average

Industry standards

$15M
$5M
ByteDance
$8.2M
Discord
$15M
Canva
$30M
Kalshi

Benefits

Remote Work Options

Flexible Work Hours

Paid Vacation

Paid Holidays

Health Insurance

Wellness Program

Mental Health Support

Conference Attendance Budget

Professional Development Budget

Training Programs

Tuition Reimbursement

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Stock Options

Company Equity

Family Planning Benefits

Fertility Treatment Support

Adoption Assistance

Parental Leave

Meal Benefits

Phone/Internet Stipend

Home Office Stipend

Professional Certification Support

Mentorship Program

Education allowance

Gym Membership

Commuter Benefits

Legal Services

Employee Discounts

Employee Referral Bonus

Relocation Assistance

Sabbatical Leave

Paid Sick Leave

Flexibility for remote-first

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

5%

1 year growth

-1%

2 year growth

-4%
PeopleGrove
Mar 13th, 2026
PeopleGrove redefines teacher education program support with responsible AI, native video functionality, and intuitive design.

PeopleGrove redefines teacher education program support with responsible AI, native video functionality, and intuitive design. Ashley Spain March 13, 2026 PeopleGrove announces the launch of new features and functionality within its trusted CORE for Education ecosystem. Warwick, RI - (March 13, 2026) - PeopleGrove announces new capabilities in the CORE for Education ecosystem, including native field encounter videos, enhanced digital binders, and integrated competency management powered by responsible AI. This launch reflects PeopleGrove's long-term commitment to teacher education programs as they navigate increasing operational complexity, accreditation requirements, and pressure to demonstrate measurable candidate progress. Leveraging responsible AI, the platform also delivers the data and analytics programs need to efficiently run world-class teacher education programs. Dawn Hiles PeopleGrove An intuitive platform designed to simplify complex systems. Modern field experiences depend on distributed supervision, evolving placement models, and high-stakes accreditation requirements. CORE for Education is built to address these challenges, providing teacher education programs with the tools they need, including responsible AI that supports educators and coordinators in carrying out their duties and responsibilities. CORE for Education streamlines complex program operations with role-based assignments. This enhancement allows students to collect evaluations from multiple supervisors while consolidating all assessment data into a single candidate record. Additionally, students can now record and submit field encounter videos in the same place they manage schedules and requirements. Likewise, faculty and clinical instructors can easily access and review videos, provide time-stamped feedback, and complete evaluations within the same workflow. The platform supports single-step placement rescheduling that preserves historical data as students move across sites and roles. Binder-style evidence collections and built-in accreditation reporting provide program leaders with real-time insight into performance, equity, and outcomes. About PeopleGrove. PeopleGrove empowers colleges and universities to deliver meaningful engagement and hands-on learning that drives measurable outcomes for students, alumni, programs, and institutions. From mentorship and career readiness to clinical placements and competency management, PeopleGrove helps institutions improve student preparedness, meet accreditation standards, and prove program effectiveness. The platform supports over 500 institutions and 750+ academic programs, including 98% of key clinical programs in the United States. Learn how PeopleGrove is shaping the future with a comprehensive suite of solutions across the entire learner lifecycle- from student and alumni engagement to clinical experiential education, mentorship, and career readiness. Follow us on LinkedIn. Let's get started. Resource library. Browse more research and insights. Experiential Learning Campuswide Manage Clinical & Non-Clinical Experiential Learning

Business Wire
Jan 22nd, 2026
PeopleGrove launches one-click CASE-aligned reporting to help universities demonstrate alumni engagement impact

PeopleGrove, a SaaS platform for higher education engagement, has launched CASE-aligned reporting functionality in its Engagement Hub. The tool enables colleges and universities to automatically generate reports aligned with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education's Insights on Alumni Engagement framework, replacing manual processes. The CASE framework, launched in 2019, measures alumni engagement across four modes: philanthropic, volunteer, experiential and communications. PeopleGrove's integration allows institutions to track alumni activity in real time, generate structured reports instantly and unify engagement data in one centralised platform. The update is part of PeopleGrove's AI-powered platform serving over 500 institutions and 750 academic programmes. The company will continue investing in alumni and advancement capabilities whilst partnering with national research efforts including the forthcoming National Alumni Survey.

EdTechReview
Aug 10th, 2023
PeopleGrove Acquires JobZology to Support Learners With Career Exploration

Integrating PathwayU's assessments into PeopleGrove's platform will provide a holistic and personalized approach to career guidance, ensuring learners make informed decisions that align with their goals.

Business Wire
Aug 10th, 2023
PeopleGrove Acquires jobZology® and Their Flagship Product PathwayU Strengthening Science-Based Academic and Career Exploration Capabilities

PeopleGrove Acquires jobZology® and their flagship product PathwayU strengthening science-based academic and career exploration capabilities.

FinSMEs
Aug 9th, 2023
Peoplegrove Acquires Jobzology

PeopleGrove, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of a higher education’s career access platform for career development, experiential learning, and alumni engagement, acquired Fort Collins, CO-based jobZology and its flagship product, PathwayU. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. This strategic move enhanced PeopleGrove’s commitment to offering innovative academic and career advising capabilities that intelligently guide learners along their professional journeys. The integration of PathwayU’s assessments into PeopleGrove’s platform will offer a holistic and personalized approach to career guidance, ensuring learners make informed decisions that align with their goals.Led by Travis Hevelone, CEO, jobZology provides PathwayU, whose patented predictive technology enables users to identify and explore academic and career pathways to make informed decisions about their career. Through a guided, interactive self-discovery experience, learners in PathwayU translate their values, interests, personality, and workplace preferences into career options that align with what they want to become. Since introduction, over 1.2M assessments have been completed by 500,000 learners at 160 colleges and universities

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