CHICAGO, Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Follett Corporation today announced it has invested $1 million in Campus Quad™, a mobile-first platform designed for creating and consuming content within higher education communities.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130808/CG61018LOGO)

Created to leverage the market penetration and usage of smartphones among 18- to 24-year-olds, Campus Quad allows students to instantly create and connect to content that's relevant to their university environment.  The platform and app enable universities to easily build and launch mobile communities, fostering greater student engagement and campus affinity.  Additionally, Campus Quad consolidates and centralizes the many sources of campus information into community streams of photos, events, coupons, student listings, group activities and commerce – all in real-time, delivered directly to students' mobile devices. 

"Through a novel application of mobile-first technology, we believe our investment in Campus Quad has the potential to add to, and deepen, the campus experience for students, faculty and administrators," said Mary Lee Schneider, Follett's President and CEO.  "Campus Quad is an early-stage technology company whose platform supports the convergence of mobile, social media and education, and it complements our strong and growing portfolio of education-based technologies."  

Follett's seed-stage funding of Campus Quad is part of the company's strategy to invest in technology with the potential to disrupt and improve the way education content is delivered and consumed.  In June, the company established the Follett Knowledge Fund, a $50 million investment vehicle focused on emerging technologies such as Campus Quad. 

"Campus Quad is honored to work with the content distribution thought leaders at Follett," said Frances Cairns, Founder and CEO at Campus Quad.  "The investment and relationship with Follett will enable us to grow and extend our capabilities to become the leader of mobile communities that drive the improvement of college graduation rates through student connections, opportunities, and experiences."

About Campus Quad
Campus Quad was founded in 2012 with the vision to leverage mobile technology to improve college retention, graduation rates and student success. The company's platform fosters student success through the creation of mobile campus communities that are student-powered and facilitate connections to people, information, and choices.  More information about Campus Quad can be found here: www.campusquad.co

About Follett Corporation
Since 1873, Follett has served as the trusted partner in education for students and educators at all levels of learning. Today Follett delivers physical and digital learning materials, retail services, school content and management systems to more than 70,000 early childhood, primary and secondary schools, and on more than 1,000 college campuses. Headquartered in River Grove, Illinois, Follett is a $2.7 billion privately-held company.

SOURCE Follett Corporation