Bakersfield, Calif. August 16, 2022 – Today, Bitwise Industries (www.bitwiseindustries.com) announced the acquisition of Stria, a digital transformation company and DocuSign partner based in Bakersfield, CA. Stria streamlines processes by delivering technology-enabled business solutions. This latest acquisition supports Bitwise Industries’ growing portfolio of tech companies, while highlighting its commitment to the Bakersfield area. This marks the third strategic acquisition for Bitwise this year.

“We are excited to continue expanding our footprint in Bakersfield. This acquisition not only highlights our commitment to advancing established local companies through digital transformation, but our goal of developing a thriving technology hub in Kern County,” said Natasha Felkins, VP of Bakersfield, Bitwise Industries. “This latest addition to  the companies under the Bitwise banner will continue to power businesses across the nation, and here locally with digital solutions.” 

Founded in 2005 by CEO, Jim Damian, Stria has been headquartered in Bakersfield, CA for the past 17 years, converting hundreds of millions of physical documents to fully searchable, optical character recognition (OCR) digital images. Stria has five times appeared on the annual Inc.’s 5000 list, as one of the fastest growing, privately held companies in the United States.

“Over the past decade Stria has brought  tens of millions of dollars to the Kern County economy. As we enter this new chapter, we are happy that Bitwise Industries, a company just as committed to serving our region’s businesses, is now our parent company,” said Jim Damian, owner, Stria. “Stria will continue to service clients throughout the U.S. with the same management and services, and will continue to positively impact the lives and livelihoods of the Bakersfield area.”

“Stria is a homegrown success.  Their track record as an innovator and driver of local growth is as unique as it is impressive.  The acquisition of Stria by Bitwise shows how committed Bitwise remains to spurring additional economic advancement for the areas in which they operate,” said Bakersfield City Councilmember Andrae Gonzales. “I look forward to great things happening as a result of this exciting news.”

Bitwise Industries provides technology services to partners across sectors and powers that work through the skilled tech workforce developed through its tech training programs.The company has supported the training of over 8,000 students, with 80 percent finding technical employment following the program. The average person entering a Bitwise training program is earning $20K a year, and upon completion, earns over $60K a year. This work has resulted in over a quarter of a billion dollars in aggregated wages being distributed to individuals historically under-represented in the tech industry, mostly women and people of color. 

For more information about Bitwise Industries and to read the latest company news, please visit our website at: www.bitwiseindustries.com 

About Bitwise Industries

Bitwise Industries creates a bridge between humans from marginalized communities and stories of systemic poverty to skills and resources necessary to access opportunities in the tech industry. By leveraging public-private partnerships, Bitwise provides paid apprenticeships to students to learn tech skills, connects them to meaningful tech opportunities, and builds vibrant buildings in underestimated cities to house their work. By upskilling disenfranchised humans, it empowers them to change their own lives—which ignites and transforms the regional economies of the cities in which Bitwise serves.
Bitwise has raised more than $100M in support of this important work; expanded its model to serve nine cities (California cities of Fresno, Bakersfield, Merced, Oakland, Toledo, OH, Buffalo, NY, El Paso, TX, Greeley, CO, Las Cruces, NM); and built a tech apprenticeship engine that will drive national jobs/economic recovery in 2022. To learn more about Bitwise Industries, check out www.bitwiseindustries.com.