Scottish technology firm Waracle has acquired a Glasgow-based peer in a move designed to boost its AI and product development offering.
Waracle has taken over Screenmedia for an undisclosed sum in a deal which expands its headcount to more than 200. It adds Screemedia’s 60-strong team to the 145 Waracle staff based across offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, and its headquarters in Dundee.
Chris Martin, chief executive of Waracle, said the firm was “ready for the new wave of AI-enhanced, intelligent customer experiences” further to the deal.
He said: “This is a strategic business decision to continue our growth. We reviewed what we needed to succeed going forward and this acquisition was a key part of the answer.”
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Mr Martin will lead the combined business as chief executive, while Kenny Shaw will step back from day-to-day operations as Screenmedia becomes part of Waracle.
A statement noted that Screenmedia has established a track record for creating user experiences, across and mobile, for major companies and organisations such as Edrington, BBC, NHS, Channel 4, Next and Honeywell. It has won a Bafta award for best interactive media.
Waracle, which has clients including Lloyds Banking Group, Royal London, ScottishPower, Roche, and Imperial College London, said the acquisition will help it branch into new areas, adding transportation, retail and the third sector to its primary industries of health, energy, and financial services.
Mr Shaw said: “Waracle has an impressive track record across regulated industries and our team at Screenmedia have a broad cross-section of sector experience. I think our new, combined organisation will make us a formidable force in Scotland’s technology consultancy space.”
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Mr Martin raised the prospect of Waracle completing further deals. He said: “This is the first step in our ambitious plans to grow by acquiring design and technology services agencies with complementary skillsets. We want to continue to employ talented technologists to solve our clients' digital problems and be able to service changing client needs across the UK by covering a wider range of technologies like service design, artificial intelligence and sensors.”
He added: “There are a lot of large, London-based technology consultancies attempting to grow their presence north of the Border. We are doing the same in England and we have a strong and growing team there with ambitious plans for further acquisitions. We want to capitalise on our reputation as an unrivalled mobile development partner and continue to take those problem-solving abilities across the UK, to make sure that technology challenges are being addressed by talented, local, and engaged teams rather than near-shoring or off-shoring solutions.”
Waracle was founded by Michael Romilly, David Romilly and Mike Wharton as a spin-out from Abertay University in Dundee in 2008. It now turns over more than £20 million.
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