Microlise swoops for ‘highly regarded and profitable’ rival

Transport management software provider Microlise has completed a £2.06m deal to acquire Vita Software.

The acquisition of Vita, which was founded in Sale, Cheshire, in 2012, is expected to immediately boost earnings at the Nottingham-based firm.

The deal is part of Microlise’s long-term plan to build a comprehensive suite of solutions for transport fleets.

Now based in Brough, East Yorkshire, Vita provides a range of SaaS-based transportation management system (TMS) services to logistics firms including order management, resource and transport costing, subcontractor management and invoicing solutions.

All of its staff will be retained following the deal.

Microlise will pay an initial £1.86m for the company out of its existing cash reserves. The remainder will be paid after 12 months “subject to any claims.”

Microlise CEO Nadeem Raza said: “We are excited to announce the acquisition of Vita Software, as part of our strategic plans to grow the Microlise product portfolio using funds raised via our IPO.

“This is the first of a number of targeted acquisitions that are being progressed, driving our long-term plan to offer a comprehensive suite of solutions that cater to fleets of all sizes across our strategic geographies.”

“This acquisition will also provide us significant opportunities for upselling and cross-selling, enabling us to further strengthen our relationships with our customers and reinforce our position as a leading provider of transport technology solutions”, Raza added.