OpenGov acquires Ignatius, enhancing local gov AI

OpenGov, a provider of AI-enabled software for local and state governments, has acquired Ignatius, a low-code platform specialising in automating public sector forms and workflows and facilitating custom-built applications.

The acquisition marks OpenGov’s 10th as part of its “mission” to power more effective and accountable government.

“The next great wave of innovation is unfolding with AI, and it will impact everything—from the way we work to the way governments interact with their residents,” said Zac Bookman (pictured), Co-Founder and CEO of OpenGov. “This investment marks a significant step in our journey to bring high-performance government to every community.”

Ignatius is recognised for its AI-driven solutions in grants management, disaster preparedness and recovery, infrastructure banking and loan compliance, scholarship tracking, broadband funding, and other federal and state programme administration.

The integration of Ignatius’s capabilities allows OpenGov to expand its support for city administrators by providing highly configurable software tailored to complex initiatives. The platform’s AI features enable rapid development of custom and secure government applications using natural language prompts and AI inferencing.

The acquisition aligns with OpenGov’s broader strategy of integrating AI-powered features across its product lines, including:

• Procurement: Automating scope-of-work drafting, solicitation assembly, and supplier discovery.
• Asset management: Implementing real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and computer vision-powered asset health identification.
• Budget management: Enabling AI-native search functionalities for contextual budget insights.
• Permitting and licensing: Providing an AI-powered communication platform to enhance interactions between officials, permit applicants, contractors, and residents.

Ammiel Kamon, Chief Strategy Officer of OpenGov, underscored the importance of trust in AI technology.

“In order to feel confident using AI, public servants need to trust the technology and trust the people building the technology,” he said. “At OpenGov, we have built trust with our 2,000+ customers for more than a decade by partnering with them beyond implementation, over-communicating through challenges, and fostering a community of forward-thinking change-makers and leaders.”

Image: OpenGov