Accela Named Top-Tier Software Vendor by APPS RUN THE WORLD in the APPS TOP 500 Market Report

Accela Strengths, Domain Expertise, and Key Differentiators

Accela’s core strength lies in its comprehensive suite of SaaS solutions, powered by Microsoft Azure, which serves over 300 million citizens globally. The company’s offerings, including permitting, licensing, code enforcement, and service request management, enable state and local governments to build thriving communities and ensure citizen safety. The Civic Applications, built on the extensible Civic Platform, allow agencies to address immediate needs while preparing for future challenges. Accela’s innovation was recognized in 2024 when it was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies for its disaster response solutions, particularly the Rapid Damage Assessment tool launched in June 2023 (Fast Company 2024). This tool leverages advanced technology to streamline data collection during crises, enhancing government agility in responding to hurricanes, wildfires, and floods.

Accela Recent Developments

Accela has expanded its suite of cloud solutions for government operations through multiple product launches and updates across its Civic Platform, Civic Applications, Accela Citizen Access, and Accela Mobile. Recent updates include system administration improvements, SaaS functionality enhancements, and tools aimed at supporting community disaster preparedness and recovery. Accela also introduced Civic Applications targeting specific regulatory functions, such as Occupational Licensing, Fire Prevention, and Environmental Health. These applications aim to streamline workflows for inspections, permitting, and compliance across relevant agencies. Additionally, the company divested Springbrook Software to focus on core offerings such as permitting, licensing, code enforcement, and service request solutions.

Accela Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Activities

In May 2025, the company acquired ePermitHub, a technology firm specializing in streamlined document management and plan review processes (Accela Acquires ePermitHub). This acquisition integrates ePermitHub’s Digital Plan Room and COMET Version Engine into the Accela Civic Platform, enabling automated and standardized document management. The move is expected to reduce turnaround times for plan approvals, enhance transparency, and introduce AI-driven plan review automation, positioning Accela at the forefront of govtech innovation.

In 2024, Accela announced its acquisition of OpenCounter, a company known for simplifying permitting and licensing processes. The acquisition aimed to improve how residents, businesses, and event organizers interact with local and state governments by offering an intuitive, step-by-step application experience. By integrating OpenCounter’s user-friendly tools, Accela enhanced its platform to help users identify necessary permits, estimate costs, and complete applications more efficiently—without visiting government offices. This strategic move supported Accela’s mission to drive civic engagement and streamline government operations. The combined capabilities empowered local governments to reduce administrative workloads and better serve their communities with a modern, responsive approach to service delivery.

In 2017, Berkshire Partners completed the acquisition of Accela. Before the acquisition, Accela had successfully raised $235.6 million from investors such as ABRY Partners, Karlani Capital, Landmark Growth Capital Partners, among others. The most recent investment in Accela came from Francisco Partners in 2023.

Accela Customers in ARTW Customer Database

Leveraging a rigorous data-centric research methodology, APPS RUN THE WORLD asks the simple question: Who’s buying Accela applications and why? And we provide the answers – supported by decades of research – to our clients around the world. Our Customer database has over 100 data fields that detail company usage of Accela and other enterprise apps by function, customer size, industry, location, implementation status, partner involvement, Line of Business Key Stakeholders and IT decision makers contact details. List of Verified Accela Civic Platform customers.

Accela Key Enterprise and Cloud Applications

Accela Civic Platform

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Accela Direct vs Indirect sales

Accela Customers - Breakdown by Geo, Size, Vertical and Product

List of Verified Accela Customers

No. of Accela Customers: 2200

No. of Accela Enterprise Applications Customers: 2200

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Accela’s extensive customer base, comprising over 2,200 government agencies, underscores its widespread adoption in the public sector. Notable clients include Clark County, NV; Fairfax County, VA; City of Moreno Valley, CA; San Luis Obispo, CA; Palo Alto, CA; City of Rochester, MN; Pinellas County, FL; City of Mesa, AZ; and Pima County, AZ. In a significant development, Mecklenburg County began transitioning to Accela for residential and commercial permitting projects starting January 6, 2025, with plans to expand to specialty services like demolition and townhomes (Mecklenburg County Transition). This expansion reflects Accela’s ability to attract and retain high-profile government clients.

Accela Market Opportunities, M&A and Geo Expansions

Accela has received financial backing from Francisco Partners, with continued support from Berkshire Partners, to support international expansion and product development in the cloud-based government solutions market. This investment supports the company’s strategic growth objectives and aligns with increased global demand for digital public services.

As part of its expansion strategy, Accela entered the Australia and New Zealand markets, aligning with the region’s government directives for cloud-first adoption. The company introduced expanded SaaS offerings, including the Accela Civic Platform, and completed a cloud migration with a local government agency in New Zealand to support modernization initiatives across the public sector in both countries.

Accela Risks and Challenges

Following a series of acquisitions that have tripled its installed base, Accela faces the near-term challenge of defining and communicating a unified product strategy. A critical priority is the migration of existing on-premise customers to its Cloud platform to avoid potential revenue leakage and ensure long-term customer retention. The transition is complicated by growing competitive pressure, as rivals are actively targeting Accela’s on-premise customers with lower-cost, more flexible Cloud solutions. To defend its market position, Accela must clearly articulate its unique value in key areas such as land management, licensing, case management, and highlight the proven scalability and reliability of the Accela Automation platform.

Accela Ecosystem, Partners, Resellers and SI

Accela maintains ongoing engagement with its partner network through initiatives such as Regional User Groups, which provide a platform for partners to interact with government agencies and present their solutions. These efforts contribute to the exchange of ideas and approaches within the govtech sector. Accela’s partnership framework supports the delivery of solutions across various areas of government operations by working with both implementation and technology partners.

The company has established reseller partnerships, including one with Avolve, aimed at improving permitting and plan review processes, and another with Symbium to integrate zoning code compliance tools that address permitting timelines. Implementation partners include 21 Tech, GCOM, GovMethods, IK Consulting, Kings Canyon Technology, Natoma Technologies, OA Solutions, Peak Technology Solutions, Razavi Application Developers, RedMark Technologies, TechGlobal, TP Systems, TruePoint Solutions, and Woolpert. Strategic collaborations with technology providers such as Adobe, EMC, Apple, Esri, Microsoft, Motion Computing, Oracle, Panasonic, and Selectron Technologies support system functionality and integration.

Research Methodology

Data used in research reports are derived from publicly available documents, continuous surveys of applications vendors, customers, resellers, Independent Software Vendors, systems integrators and other verifiable sources.

Vendor shares and market forecast results are based on a combination of existing databases as well as demand side and supply side research conducted throughout the year with validation from vendors, customers, channel partners and documentations such as earnings releases and 10Q and 10K filings, vertical industry studies, regional and country-level statistics from public and private institutions(i.e. colleges, universities, government agencies and trade associations).

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