A Scottish entrepreneur has sold the business he founded three years ago to a major brand partner.

At the age of 30, Gavin Bell has sold his firm to an e-commerce specialist in a deal that makes it the only Shopify Plus partner agency in Scotland.

Yatter, the Edinburgh-based paid advertising agency, has been acquired by Velstar, a company that has enjoyed consistent growth since starting out in 2021, currently managing over £10 million in annual client ad spend.

A leading Scottish pay-per-click and paid social agency, Yatter has a portfolio of 60-plus clients including Loch Lomond Group and Countrywide, employing 12 people in the Scottish capital.

It said it helps businesses "scale with expertly-managed paid ad campaigns"

No jobs are under threat as a result of the agreement. Details of the deal were not disclosed.

Mr Bell said: "We have a very close alignment on values and culture and Velstarʼs impressive growth and shared vision to be the UKʼs No 1 independent agency made them the perfect partner for Yatterʼs next chapter.

"It’s been a rewarding journey since setting up in 2021. We set out to be the best paid advertising agency in Scotland and believe that has been achieved.

"Velstar have emphasised they acquired us for a reason; that we have the skills and people they need in their business. It’s thrilling to see our teamʼs expertise join Velstarʼs growing capabilities across the likes of Shopify, while the team will also benefit from wider career progression opportunities."

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Founded by Dan Sheard in 2016, the Liverpool-based Velstar group surpassed ambitions of reaching a £6 million turnover by this year, and buoyed by the acquisition of Yatter, is on course to generate in excess of £10m of annual revenue in 2024 - an increase of 250% since 2022.

Velstarʼs purchase of Yatter sees the firm establish a presence in Scotland for the first time, the move following the acquisition of Leeds-based B2B agency 9XB in August 2024, Surrey agency WeTeachCRO in March 2024 and Chester-based marketing agency We Influence in October 2022.

Peter Birks, Velstar chief executive, said: "This is a positive move for the Velstar group as we continue to expand our services and grow our team and expertise. With our building strategic plans for 2025, I am confident there are exciting and rewarding times ahead for our customers and colleagues."

London-based M&A consultancy Cactus supported Yatter, which is also a Google partner and preferred Meta marketing partner, throughout the acquisition.