Fresh private equity investment will help Kick ICT turbo charge its expansion into England, CEO Tom O’Hara has told IT Channel Oxygen.
The Bellshill-based outfit – which bills itself as Scotland’s largest independent IT managed service provider – this week swapped private equity backers, with LDC coming in to replace incumbent BGF.
Founded in 2015, Kick ICT claims its revenue runrate currently stands at around £30m.
The fresh investment will enable the Microsoft and Infor partner to up the pace of its UK-wide growth “through further acquisitions”, LDC said.
“Accelerating our UK expansion into England is a key driver,” O’Hara – who LDC is backing to continue leading the company alongside Group Sales Director Alan Turnbull (pictured together below) – told IT Channel Oxygen.
Kick ICT has already made nine acquisitions in its eight-year history, including most recently its purchase of Dundee-based Microsoft Dynamics partner C2 Software, in November 2023.
It now employs over 170 staff and has over 1,000 customers.
The move cements LDC’s status as the UK IT channel’s most prolific investor, with Kerv, Onecom, Acora, Red Helix and DSP among the other IT solutions providers in its portfolio.
Lee Donaldson, Investment Director at LDC in Scotland, stated: “Tom and Alan are committed and ambitious founders, and we’re excited to support them, alongside the rest of the management team, as they continue their impressive run of acquisitions to drive growth and expand the business outside Scotland.”
“The team at LDC have a great deal of hands-on experience in helping businesses like ours to grow through acquisition, making them the perfect partner as we expand our presence in Scotland and across the UK,” O’Hara added in a canned comment.