Research Solutions announced a three‑year agreement with the University of Pretoria on March 12, 2026, making the South African institution the first in the country to adopt the company’s Scite AI‑powered research platform. The deal, signed in December 2025, grants the university’s Department of Library Services access to Scite’s Smart Citations technology, which lets researchers see whether findings are supported, mentioned or contradicted by subsequent studies.
The Scite platform was officially launched to the university’s academic community in February 2026, following a series of live‑streamed training sessions for faculty and students. The launch demonstrates Research Solutions’ ability to deploy its platform in new geographic markets and provides a high‑profile reference customer that can accelerate adoption across the rapidly digitizing South African higher‑education sector.
Research Solutions’ recent financial results underscore the strategic value of this partnership. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, platform revenue grew 21% year‑over‑year to $19.0 million, while total gross margin improved 450 basis points to 51.0%. The full fiscal year 2025 saw platform revenue rise 36% to $19.0 million and gross margin climb 530 basis points to 49.3%. These gains reflect the company’s successful shift from a transactional document‑delivery model to a high‑margin SaaS/AI business, a transition that the University of Pretoria deal further validates.
CEO Roy W. Olivier highlighted the partnership as evidence of the company’s expanding global footprint and the growing demand for AI‑driven research tools. He noted that the University of Pretoria’s adoption “reinforces our strategy of scaling the Scite platform in new markets and demonstrates the scalability of our SaaS offering.” The announcement aligns with the company’s broader objective of increasing recurring revenue and strengthening its position in the competitive research‑workflow solutions market.
The University of Pretoria deal positions Research Solutions to tap into a growing African market, potentially unlocking new revenue streams and reinforcing its transformation into a high‑margin, subscription‑based business. By securing a flagship customer in a region undergoing rapid digital transformation, the company gains a valuable reference that can accelerate further expansion across Africa and beyond, supporting its long‑term growth trajectory.
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