Zencity, a global leader in community engagement platforms, has announced its acquisition of UK engagement software company Commonplace. In acquiring Commonplace, Zencity has doubled down on the UK market with the combined offering joining up digital engagement with new AI, social listening and analytics capabilities.

Commonplace has pioneered digital place-based engagement over the last 11 years, with over 10 million community members engaging with more than 3,500 individual projects across the UK. Recognised as a market leader in planning, Commonplace customers span public bodies including the Mayor of London, Leeds City Council and Westminster City Council alongside private sector groups such as Grosvenor and Landsec. Commonplace’s industry leading map-based features and subscriber management will be widely adopted into the Zencity platform.

Commonplace customers will continue receiving high-quality services and gain access to enhanced capabilities providing a 360-degree view into public priorities supporting government and stakeholder community listening to inform effective decision making. Additional features such as gold-standard representative surveys, social media monitoring and analytics, post-interaction surveys and advanced award-winning AI features will provide improved service levels.

Image: The Commonplace platform on mobile.

Zencity and Commonplace will support the public and private sectors to engage communities more effectively. Centralising features in one platform will ensure a more efficient and cost-effective offering for Zencity and Commonplace customers.

Underscoring the continued growth of Zencity’s global footprint, this acquisition solidifies its commitment to building momentum in the UK market. With clients including the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), British Transport Police and multiple local councils, the UK is already an active market for Zencity.

With this acquisition, Zencity will offer increased levels of services and responsiveness to UK clients through new offices in London, ensuring stability and improved customer experiences. Bringing deep experience in government services, with 80% of America’s largest cities among its customers, the combined offering will set the global standard for community listening and engagement within the built environment sector and local government.

'We are thrilled to welcome Commonplace into the Zencity team,' said Eyal Feder-Levy, CEO and Co-founder of Zencity. 'This acquisition not only allows us to expand our presence in the UK market but also gives every Zencity customer access to unique capabilities in planning. We are excited to work together to continue setting the standard for community engagement globally.'

Image: Zencity CSO Michael Simon (L) and Commonplace CEO and Co-Founder Mike Saunders (R).

'The joining of forces between Zencity and Commonplace is a win-win for our customers,' said Mike Saunders, CEO of Commonplace. 'Not only will they continue receiving exceptional service, but they will also have access to new and enhanced capabilities that come with being a part of a larger company. This partnership has emerged and strengthened over several years, and so becoming part of Zencity is a fantastic outcome.'

The combined company serves cities, agencies and businesses in 6 countries, 45 US states and a global footprint covering over 200 million people. Yesterday, Zencity was named to the GovTech 100, recognising its position as one of the most significant govtech companies globally.