Private equity firm acquires North

UK private equity firm Livingbridge has acquired North, the UK IoT service and solutions provider. The news comes as North confirms it has significantly expanded its UK footprint with the strategic acquisition of Data Techniques, a specialist in network infrastructure design, installation and support services.

Livingbridge has a strong track record within the technology sector and has made the investment through its £1.2 billion Livingbridge 7 fund. It has acquired North from Aliter, a specialist firm within the support services industry.

Livingbridge’s investment will accelerate North’s ambitious growth plans. The business currently employs over 270 staff and is focused on driving regional expansion, strengthening its service lines such as IoT and 5G within critical and complex environments, and building long-term partnerships with Aruba, Cisco, and Nokia.

The acquisition of Data Techniques is a testament to North’s strategy to consolidate its position as a market leader. Data Techniques has 90 employees, located across three UK offices in Camberley, Southampton and Basingstoke. The acquisition will reinforce North’s presence in the South East and allow it to operate a national network of highly technical engineers, covering the design, build, maintenance, and monitoring of end-to-end IoT solutions and services.

Glen Williams, Chief Executive for North said, “The last year has seen tremendous change and growth for North and saw five businesses brought together to form an established player, well-positioned to take advantage of growth opportunities. The acquisition of Data Techniques demonstrates our focus on building our client base and breadth of services through smart expansion and acquisitions.

“Aliter’s support and guidance has been invaluable. We are now looking forward to building on our success with Livingbridge, who have recognised the potential of our business and have the expertise and knowledge that will help to drive our business forward.”

Aliter Founding Partner and North Non-Executive Chairman Greig Brown added, “North has seen sustained growth over the last few years, and we have worked closely with Glen and the management team as it has transformed into a UK-wide organisation at the forefront of the smart integrated technologies market. We are pleased to have been able to support the growth of the business to date and wish the team well as they embark on the next stage of their journey with Livingbridge.”

Matthew Caffrey at Livingbridge said, “We are delighted to be partnering with North, a business with a unique breadth and depth of expertise across the IoT, networking and connectivity, and safety and security, and with clear growth potential. We are excited to work with CEO Glen Williams and his experienced management team to develop North’s strong capabilities and consolidate a fragmented industry through further M&A to serve better the rapidly growing intelligent buildings and smart cities market.”

Nick Crosby, Data Techniques, commented: “It has been clear since we began discussions with North that our businesses share many synergies, including a commitment to providing a high quality of service to our broad customer base. We are excited to join the North business and look forward to a period of accelerated growth over the coming years”.