Blackboard Ranks #1 in Education on Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies

10/1/2003 , Washington, DC – Blackboard Inc., a leading enterprise software company for e-Education, is the fastest-growing privately held education company in the country according to the 23rd Annual Inc. 500 rankings.

In addition to leading its industry category, Blackboard’s 11,047% revenue growth from 1998 through 2002 earned the education software company a #6 ranking in the overall list of the Inc. 500 – the highest ranking of any Washington, D.C.-based company. Blackboard’s yearly revenue was $620,000 in 1998 and $69.2 million in 2002. The Washington metropolitan area led the nation with 41 local companies appearing on the list.

“The Internet has become the standard mode of communication and information sharing for educational institutions, from K-12 through the university level,” said Michael Chasen, CEO of Blackboard. “Our success is a direct result of our clients using Blackboard solutions every day to achieve measurable improvements in teaching and learning, and to broaden the student experience.”

“The entrepreneurs you’ll find on the Inc. 500 have the type of attitude we need to get this economy moving again,” said Inc. editor-in-chief John Koten. “For them, a tough market is not an excuse for poor performance, but an opportunity to innovate and rise above the competition.”

The full Inc. 500 rankings appear in the Inc. 500 Special Issue, which arrives on newsstands October 14.

Michael Stanton
Senior Director Corporate Communications
Blackboard Inc.
Ph: 202.463.4860 x.305
FX: 202.463.4863