Terra Dotta, which means “learned world,” has been around since 2001 and has attracted more than 450 clients around the world for its software designed to help universities manage student data.

On Monday, the company disclosed its growing appeal to investors, raising $6 million.

The company, which traces its beginnings to UNC-Chapel Hill, disclosed in a securities filings that it had raised $6 million in a mixture of equity, debt, and options.

The funding comes just a few months after Terra Dotta achieved PCI-DSS certification, or Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS). The firm achieved Levl 1 Certification, which goes to firms that process more than 300,000 transactions a year.

The $6 million raised represents the goal of the round, which drew two undisclosed investors.

Of the money, $1.6 million is to go to executives and directors, according to the filing.

The firm was launched by Brandon Lee and Garrett Christian in 2001 due in part to personal experiences in dealing with college administrative challenges while learning overseas. Both had been technology coordinators at UNC-CH.

“A lot of our growth is due to universities realizing the ‘duty of care’ they owe to their faculty, students, and staff when they travel, and understanding that this is an area where we can help them,” lee told Reuters in a 2014 interview.

“The biggest driver of our success, however, would have to be word of mouth. The best sales people that we have are our current clients. Our big secret to increasing sales is to deliver what they want and deliver it well. We listen to our clients. We take their input seriously. We work with them in focus groups and steering committees to find out what they need to make things better in their day-to-day life.”

Terra Dotta offers its software via a software-as-a-service model.

Recent client wins and deployments include:

  • Concordia University Wisconsin
  • Northern Illinois University
  • Pomona College
  • Trine University
  • University of Evansville
  • University of Mississippi
  • Dartmouth College – Tuck School of Business
  • Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
  • Lehigh University
  • Portland Community College
  • Santa Clara University
  • University of Sydney

What is Terra Dotta?

“Over 470 educational institutions and businesses trust Terra Dotta software to manage their application process and streamline their operations. Terra Dotta is committed to effective process automation and the secure management of data. Flexibility and robust features have made our software essential to all types of organizations. Terra Dotta’s international education roots and innovative software capabilities serve the complex needs of many educational and business offices,” the company explains.

“Terra Dotta software simplifies your everyday processes from the way you access information to the way you gather data and create reports. Risk management capabilities are an integral aspect of the software, providing the ability to locate and communicate with your applicants and travelers worldwide. Simply put, Terra Dotta software allows you to realize the full potential of your data and use the software your way at your institution.

“Terra Dotta clients have a strong influence over the evolution of our software. We encourage and embrace client suggestions for new features they need to facilitate their enrollment processes. These suggestions are the basis of
new features added in each new version and over the years have helped make our software strong and flexible.”