Nottingham software firm swoops for Aussie tech specialist

Kevin O’Loughlin

NorthEdge-backed Altia has acquired VeriSaaS, a field intelligence and evidence collection software business.

Altia is a leading global provider of specialist intelligence and investigation software for government department and law enforcement agencies across the UK, Canada and Australia. The business, which is based in Nottingham and Glasgow, supports police forces and investigation teams to automate processes using technology – reducing time and money spent on investigations and improving prosecution rates.

Australia-based VeriSaaS develops software to support organisations to collect “actionable intelligence”. The business’ core proposition Verinote, a digital notetaking system, replaces the need for paper notebooks to document conversations, decisions and observations.

The deal broadens Altia’s product offering and supports the business to increase its international presence further across the 17 countries it operates in – which saw the business awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in April this year. It also marks Altia’s first acquisition following investment from NorthEdge in November 2020.

As part of the acquisition, VeriSaaS founder and CEO Brice Neilson will join Altia as its director of Asia-Pacific.

Rob Sinclair, CEO of Altia, said: “We want to continue to create the latest cutting-edge software that will transform the way the public and private sector tackle investigations. The addition of the Verinote software complements our proposition perfectly and supports us towards these ambitious plans.

“Brice’s experience of working in law enforcement and politics has allowed him to build a software business that solves complex and critical issues with practical solutions. Physical note taking is inefficient, expensive to procure and, at worst, these sensitive documents can get lost or stolen. Verinote removes these problems and provides investigation teams with compliant actionable intelligence instantly and securely.

“This acquisition, supported by NorthEdge, is another sign of our commitment to continued growth. I’m delighted to have Brice join our growing team and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”

Neilson added: “I’ve partnered with Altia for just over a year now, and I’ve been consistently impressed with their drive to help investigation teams across government, law enforcement and private sector organisations improve effectiveness and efficiencies using technology. The VeriSaaS core software offering Verinote is highly applicable and proven within the market, and I’m looking forward to taking it to more regions across the globe with Altia.”

Kevin O’Loughlin, NorthEdge investment director and board member at Altia, said: “November will mark one year since we invested in Altia, and I couldn’t be more pleased that we’re recognising that with the business’ first ever acquisition. VeriSaaS’ ambitions align perfectly with Altia’s and given the solid relationship Rob and Brice have built over the last 12 months this makes for a great partnership. This acquisition follows a significant year of investment for the company in its technology and its people, and we’re looking forward to see it continue to grow its global presence across the public and private sector.”

Browne Jacobson and Australian-based Maddocks advised on the deal.

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