Product development organisation Instil has bought cyber security consultancy Vertical Structure in an acquisition which will see two of Northern Ireland’s leading technology firms join forces.
The deal, for an undisclosed sum, sees Belfast-based Instil add cyber security consultancy to its offering, complementing its product development, cloud engineering, digital modernisation, and training expertise.
At the same time, Vertical Structure’s clients will be able to avail of Instil’s broad range of services
The acquisition of Vertical supplements organic growth of 35% and represents a key part of Instil’s strategic objective to grow its business to £50 million annual turnover within five years.
Tara Simpson, chief executive and founder of Instil, said: “We’re delighted to have completed the acquisition of Vertical Structure.
“Simon and Marc have grown a fantastic company that we’ve had the pleasure of partnering with for many years. Cyber security is a must-have for organisations around the world and, with this acquisition, we are now in a position to be able to deliver consultancy which meets that demand.”
Simon Whittaker, co-founder and chief executive of Vertical Structure, added: “We are incredibly excited to become an integral part of the Instil team at a key juncture in their growth. This provides us with the means to cement future growth and opens our cyber security offering up to a much wider audience.”
Instil, which employs 130 people, helps technology brands transform, innovate and disrupt their markets with category-defining software products. Its services include product development, delivering next-generation software products; cloud engineering, developing well-architected modern cloud solutions; digital modernisation, rethinking business models; and training, accelerating engineering and delivery know-how in software teams.
Vertical Structure provides cyber security consultancy with a ‘human-first’ approach. It specialises in human-focused security and penetration testing services for web applications, cloud infrastructure and mobile applications.
Meanwhile in a separate deal Pinnacle, a leading provider of cloud-based accounting, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, managed IT services, and digital transformation solutions, has been acquired by K3 Capital Group, a multi-disciplinary professional services firm based in Bolton.
The acquisition not only expands Pinnacle’s growth potential but also establishes K3′s technology solutions division, adding to its core offerings in company sales, tax, and restructuring.
With over three decades of expertise and a team of around 200 professionals, Pinnacle is well-recognised for supporting over 2,000 SMEs across the UK and Ireland with innovative software solutions powered by Sage and Acumatica.
Founder and chairman Ken Montgomery, along with mergers and acquisitions director James Spencer, will continue to provide strategic oversight on the Pinnacle board.
Ken said: “This acquisition represents a transformative milestone for Pinnacle.
“Starting from humble beginnings in 1993, we’ve grown to employ 200 staff with a £30 million turnover. Joining K3 Capital Group unlocks new growth opportunities and allows us to deliver even greater value to our customers.”
