Wigan IT Firm Secures Multi-Million Pound Investment

Evolve Business Group, a Wigan-based specialist in managed IT network solutions, has received a significant investment from BGF. The multi-million-pound deal will fuel the company's ambitious growth plans.

Founded in 2005, Evolve has rapidly expanded its customer base across retail, hospitality, food-to-go, and petroleum franchises. With a strong track record of reducing costs and streamlining IT services, the company has seen turnover soar from £6.8 million to a projected £20 million this year.

The new investment will enable Evolve to accelerate its expansion both domestically and internationally, with a particular focus on the US market. The company aims to broaden its reach in the Quick Service Restaurant sector while also enhancing its UK infrastructure through a new Wigan warehouse.

To support its growth trajectory, Evolve plans to increase its workforce by 40% over the next three years and explore acquisition opportunities. Since 2020, the company has already expanded its team from 23 to 117 employees.

BGF Investor Pinesh Mehta added: “Evolve has a strong track record of achieving top line growth through a loyal and longstanding customer base that spans 10 countries, with over 6,000 sites now managed by the business across the globe. That strength and depth, in both proposition and presence, is driven by a highly experienced management team who have the experience to a scale a business in a robust marketplace that has significant potential. Business and support services is a sector that BGF understands inside and out, having invested more than £350 million, supporting in excess of 50 businesses. Our credentials, combined with Evolve’s ambition and expertise, makes this an extremely exciting deal and we’re delighted to be joining the team as they embark on this exciting chapter.”

Learn more...

Spotler Group Expands European Footprint with Acquisition of RedEye

Leading European marketing automation platform Spotler Group has announced the acquisition of RedEye, a prominent player in the eCommerce marketing technology space. This strategic move strengthens Spotler Group’s position as a pan-European market leader, enabling it to offer even more comprehensive, AI-driven marketing solutions to clients across various industries.

With a combined customer base of over 5,000 businesses across eight European countries, the acquisition brings together Spotler Group’s extensive reach with RedEye’s deep expertise in eCommerce and customer data. By integrating RedEye's advanced marketing automation and customer data platform, Spotler Group will be able to deliver enhanced personalisation, improved attribution, and ultimately, increased revenue for its clients.

 
Lee Chadwick, CEO of Spotler Group remarks, “This marks a significant milestone in our growth strategy, specifically increasing our UK strength. RedEye clients can rapidly benefit from the incremental technologies provided by the Spotler Group while continuing to benefit from exceptional customer service.”

Learn more...

Versori Taps Barclays Tech Veteran as COO

Versori, a generative AI data integration platform, has announced the appointment of Will Jackson as Chief Operations Officer. With a distinguished career spanning financial services and healthcare, Jackson brings a wealth of experience in technology leadership and program management.

Previously, he held key roles at Accenture and Barclays where he played a pivotal part in developing innovative solutions, including the Virgin Money Bank credit card platform, Apple Pay and Android Pay integrations, and the Barclays configurable cards program. Jackson was instrumental in driving Open Banking initiatives at Barclays, ultimately leading the bank’s API strategy.

Following his tenure in finance, Jackson joined the NHS to spearhead API and platform engineering. His expertise was instrumental in the development of the NHS API Platform and digital onboarding service.

Sean Brown, CEO of Versori remarked “Having the experience and technical knowledge of Will at Versori, coupled with his exceptional leadership qualities has already elevated the company to a maturer state on so many levels. I can’t wait to see what Will achieves here.”

Learn more...

Staycation Surge: Hoseasons Benefits from Josie Gibson Campaign

Hoseasons has revealed a significant uptick in summer bookings following a successful partnership with TV personality Josie Gibson. The self-catering holiday specialist reported a 28% year-on-year increase in total summer bookings for the week ending July 21st, coinciding with the launch of a high-profile marketing campaign featuring Gibson.

Web traffic soared to an 18-month high, and agency bookings jumped by 14% as the former Big Brother winner championed the joys of a 'Great British break'. Hoseasons also saw a 23% rise in last-minute holiday searches, indicating a surge in spontaneous staycation bookings.

Gemma Brown, General Manager at Hoseasons, attributed the success to Gibson's genuine enthusiasm for UK holidays, stating "our partnership with Josie has been perfectly timed to make sure Hoseasons is front of mind for the increasing number of Brits who are leaving it late to book their summer break. Her genuine enthusiasm for UK holidays has really shone through and clearly inspired customers to go on their own spontaneous summer staycation adventures.”

Learn more...

Craving cutting-edge tech insights? Dive deep into the latest trends with our in-depth resources or catch up on the essentials with quick updates on LinkedIn. Perfect for IT and engineering professionals eager to expand their knowledge.