Leeds software company snapped up by German engineering group
German group Heidelberg Engineering has acquired £2.3m-turnover Leeds software business Medisoft.
Medisoft, a provider of electronic medical records software for the eyecare industry, is based on Clarendon Road, Leeds, where it will continue to operate.
The company was founded in 1997 by Robert Johnston, a consultant ophthalmologist, and his brother David Johnston, who brought commercial and marketing experience from the pharmaceutical industry.
In 2016, Medisoft was a recipient of a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation
Heidelberg Engineering is an imaging solutions company which manufactures, and distributes diagnostic instruments for eye care professionals.
It has acquired 100% ownership of Medisoft, and as part of this deal, Heidelberg Engineering has appointed Arianna Schoess and Kfir Azoulay to the Board of Directors of Medisoft, in addition to current Board members David Johnston, Christian Martin, and Alice Braga Johnston
“Over the past 20 years, the Medisoft team has been dedicated to delivering an ophthalmology EMR that is easy and quick to use by ophthalmologists and other eye care professionals, and that delivers detailed analysis of medical and surgical treatment outcomes” said David Johnston, co-founder and Chairman of Medisoft.
“This was the vision of my brother Rob Johnston, who was a highly respected ophthalmologist. Medisoft was his brainchild and he did much of the work to bring Medisoft and Heidelberg Engineering together before his death last year.
“Combining forces with Heidelberg Engineering and its broad portfolio of diagnostic imaging systems, image management solutions, and global reach will offer Medisoft a solid platform to accelerate further business growth outside the UK, enabling ophthalmology departments and private practices to access both patient records and their associated images using a combined offering from the two companies.”
“The acquisition of Medisoft brings together a highly experienced team and market-proven EMR capabilities with Heidelberg Engineering’s expertise in image management and diagnostic imaging systems,” said Christoph Schoess, managing director at Heidelberg Engineering GmbH. “We look forward to working with the Medisoft team to provide our customers with an increasingly wider range of ophthalmic healthcare IT solutions.”
Ben Peacock of Park Place Corporate Finance, who acted as lead advisor to the Medisoft shareholders, said: “The UK is at the forefront of development in EMR technology and Medisoft has established itself as the leading ophthalmology specialist in the domestic market.
“Given the significant opportunity to take its EMR solutions into international markets it is no surprise that the business attracted interest from overseas acquirers. The complementary nature of Heidelberg Engineering’s products and the cultural fit between the businesses made it the stand out acquirer.”
