Virent Capital Announces First Platform Investment in Kanahoma

Partnership will support the development of a full-service higher education enrollment partner

RADNOR, Pa., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Virent Capital ("Virent"), a thesis-led private equity firm focused on building broader solutions in business services and products through a create-and-build strategy, today announced its first platform investment, Kanahoma, LLC ("Kanahoma"), a leading higher education marketing and enrollment services firm serving colleges and universities nationwide. Kanahoma's management team will retain a meaningful ownership stake and continue to lead the business in partnership with Virent, helping institutions connect more students with programs that fit their goals.

As part of the partnership, Chip Paucek, Co-Founder and former CEO of 2U, has joined Kanahoma's board as Co-Chairman. At 2U, Chip built one of higher education's largest university-partnership platforms, scaling the company to nearly $1 billion in annual revenue, and he brings deep experience growing education businesses and the institutional relationships behind them. Seth Odell will continue to lead Kanahoma as CEO.

Kanahoma is Virent's first create-and-build platform. Through this strategy, Virent partners with emerging, founder-led businesses earlier in their growth curve, backing founders who have already built something significant and helping them take it further. Virent adds services and capabilities through organic investment and complementary acquisitions to build broader solutions that improve customer outcomes and accelerate growth. Supported by Virent Drive, the firm's in-house digital lab, Virent will help Seth Odell and the Kanahoma team grow the business from a leading higher education marketing agency into a full-service enrollment growth partner for colleges and universities.

Founded in 2020 by Seth Odell, a former higher education chief marketing officer, Kanahoma has grown to nearly 50 full-time employees and supports more than 20 institutions nationwide. Recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies in both 2025 and 2026, Kanahoma's team combines experience inside colleges and universities with expertise in performance marketing, creative production and digital strategy. Kanahoma works as an extension of its partners' teams, with services spanning program strategy, brand positioning, paid media, web development, search engine optimization and prospective student engagement.

"Colleges and universities are facing sustained pressure on enrollment, and they increasingly need partners who understand both their mission and the practical work of reaching and enrolling the right students," said Connor McMahan, Founder and Managing Partner of Virent Capital. "That shift is central to our thesis that enrollment growth has become a strategic priority for institutions, not just a marketing function, and that the market needs a partner able to support the full journey from first impression to enrollment. Kanahoma is exceptionally well-positioned to be that partner, and we're excited to work with Seth and the team to build and add the capabilities that will make Kanahoma the leading full-service enrollment partner in higher education."

"I'm incredibly proud of what our team has built and grateful to the institutions that have trusted us with work that matters," said Seth Odell, Founder and CEO of Kanahoma. "The lines between marketing and enrollment are blurring, and our partners need more than a campaign or a channel. They need one team that understands higher education from the inside, connects every stage of the student journey, and gives them clear visibility into what's actually driving enrollment. That's what we're building at Kanahoma, and with Virent's resources, experience helping founder-led businesses scale, and technology-enabled approach, we can expand our capabilities and become a true full-service enrollment partner without losing the commitment to our team and institutions that got us here."

"Kanahoma stood out in our research for its deep higher education expertise and the trust it has built with its partners," said Bryan Hall, Vice President at Virent Capital. "We're excited to work alongside Seth and the team to put new capabilities, data and technology behind that foundation."

Salem Investment Partners provided the debt financing and co-invested in this transaction. 

Garnet Partners served as exclusive financial advisor and Lippes Mathias served as legal advisor to Kanahoma. Troutman Pepper Locke served as legal advisor to Virent Capital. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Kanahoma

Kanahoma is a San Diego-based higher education marketing and enrollment services firm founded in 2020 by Seth Odell. The company pairs experience inside higher education with expertise in strategy, performance marketing, creative, web and student engagement to help colleges and universities connect with the learners they are best positioned to serve. Kanahoma was recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies in 2025 and 2026. For more information, visit www.kanahoma.com.

About Virent Capital

Virent Capital is a thesis-driven private equity firm headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, focused on emerging, founder-led businesses in the lower middle market. The firm partners with founders earlier in their companies' growth, investing in sectors where a create-and-build strategy can expand services and capabilities, improve outcomes for customers and accelerate growth. Virent combines sector research with a growth plan developed alongside each management team, and provides capital, operating support and acquisition expertise. Virent Drive™, the firm's in-house digital lab, supports portfolio companies in data analytics, ecommerce, artificial intelligence, application development, performance marketing and automation. For more information, visit www.virentcap.com.

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SOURCE Virent Capital