| 10. Host Compliance -> Granicus Ever since short-term rental apps like Airbnb and VRBO started gaining traction, local governments have been complaining about the problems they can bring without contributing revenue. Accela jumped onto that trend with registration and regulation software, and in November Granicus joined by buying out the startup Host Compliance. 9. SeeClickFix -> CivicPlus SeeClickFix didn't invent the idea of 311, but it did more or less bring the concept into the sleek, user-centric world of modern smartphone apps. In October, CivicPlus — a prolific goverment website builder on an expansion spree — validated the startup's approach with a purchase. 8. Complia -> NIC ($11M) Companies moving into competition with Accela via acquisition was something of a trend this year. For NIC, the e-government pioneer, this took the form of buying up Complia, which deals in marijuana permitting software. The timing is good, as the legalization trend only appears to be picking up more steam as time goes on. 7. ViewPoint -> OpenGov Two days after announcing a $51 million fundraising haul in September, OpenGov revealed that it was buying out ViewPoint, a 200-customer permitting and licensing software firm. Though OpenGov made a name for itself through publishing open data, it has been branching farther and farther out from that original idea for years — ViewPoint is another step on that path. 6. MicroPact -> Tyler Technologies ($185M) Tyler is a state and local government-focused software company. MicroPact is a federally-focused platform. Tyler is the result of many buyouts across many years, but this move isn't just another buyout. It's a shift in direction. 5. WatchGuard -> Motorola Solutions ($271M) There are many body-worn camera makers out there for cops to choose from, but only two hold contracts among the 25 largest local police agencies in the country: Axon and WatchGuard. In July, Motorola Solutions bought up the smaller of these companies. The move not only consolidates the market, it brings one of the larger camera-makers in line with a product portfolio that includes facial recognition AI. 4. Firmstep -> Granicus Granicus, on a dramatic growth trajectory due to its private equity backing, made a big move in April with the acquisition of Firmstep. The company already has a communications network and builds websites; now it is getting into digital services as well. 3. Tellus Safety Solutions -> CentralSquare Technologies The CentralSquare merger had at its core a mission: Achieve scale by combining companies serving different tiers of the same market. In May, the company took the next step, which was to acquire a company that will help it start stitching together the dispatch systems of the public safety market it serves such a wide portion of. 2. Bonfire, CityBase, eCivis, OpenCounter, Questica and Sherpa Government Solutions -> GTY Technology Holdings ($497M) Despite a lawsuit from OpenGov alleging that it had been unfairly cut out of the deal, GTY completed its merger in February. That made it one of just a handful of publicly-traded gov tech companies, and presents an intriguing possible path to IPO for an industry that doesn't have a very easy time getting there. 1. VaaS International Holdings -> Motorola Solutions ($445M) There are many ethical concerns swirling around law enforcement technology right now, and this deal struck at the core of that conversation. The parent company of Vigilant Solutions, perhaps the most visible provider of automated license plate readers, also dabbles in facial recognition and has attracted criticism for working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In January, that company became part of Motorola Solutions in one of the most expensive gov tech deals of the year. | 