Zencity acquires community engagement company Commonplace

Zencity, a community engagement platform used by more than 400 government agencies, has aquired Commonplace, a UK-based software company specialising in public engagement.

The move strengthens Zencity’s position in the UK and adds new tools to its platform to support local governments and agencies.

“Commonplace is both a significant foothold for Zencity in the UK, and it is recognised as a unique market leader in zoning and planning,” Eyal Feder-Levy (pictured), CEO and Co-Founder of Zencity, told Cities Today. “Its industry-leading map-based features and subscriber management will be widely adopted into the Zencity platform.”

Commonplace has developed engagement software widely used for zoning and planning projects in the UK. Over 11 years, it has facilitated over 3,500 projects and engaged with more than 10 million community members. Its clients include the City of London, Westminster Council, and the Mayor of London.

Zencity plans to integrate Commonplace’s tools into its global platform, offering its customers additional features.

“Within the next few months, all of Zencity’s customers around the globe will have access to the powerful map-based features in Commonplace, as well as the ability to build an audience of subscribers who can opt-in to be communicated with for future engagements on topics of interest to them,” Feder-Levy explained.

The acquisition also includes opening a Zencity office in central London to better serve its UK customers.

“Zencity has been meaningfully doing business in the UK since 2021, but has never had a physical presence in the market,” he said. “With a UK office and team, our market can expect to see Zencity become an active part of the conversation at relevant industry events, convening thought leaders for meaningful conversation and knowledge sharing.”

The company plans to introduce new features, including an AI conversational interface and tools for live engagement during events like town hall meetings.

Feder-Levy added that the platform will be rolling out its AI conversational interface for general availability to all customers who wish to use it inside the first quarter of this year, removing the need for a Zencity analyst.

Mike Saunders, CEO of Commonplace, said: “The joining of forces between Zencity and Commonplace is a win-win for our customers. 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.”

Image: Feder-Levy/LinkedIn