5. Oakland Group Services
Size: 70 staff, £10m revenues
Acquirer: Softcat
When: April
Rationale
Softcat ponied up £8m on the first acquisition in its 32-year history, in the form of this Leeds-based data and AI consultancy.
The move came after Softcat took the uncharacteristic step of mooting potential M&A in its interim results the previous month. In a follow-up interview, Charlton picked out data, AI and automation as one possible M&A avenue, alongside cyber and international growth.
Oakland is an existing partner to Softcat, “with strong cultural affinity and aligned leadership values”, Softcat stressed.
What they said
“Oakland is a company with whom we have already established a robust and highly successful partnership. This step forward is a great progression of our relationship, and we are excited about the enhanced opportunities it will bring,” – Richard Wyn Griffith, Chief Commercial Officer at Softcat
Noteworthy nugget
Oakland became a B Corp in 2023, reflecting its desire to balance profit with purpose.
Which 4 acquisitions were bigger? See next page…
