Software firm e-f group swoops in London acquisition
Denton-based software company e-f group has acquired London business Air Publishing Ltd for an undisclosed sum.
It said the purchase improves its offering in building intelligent tailored software and expands its internal ability to lead the way with SaaS ‘systems as a service’.
The deal will add a nationwide team of developers, business analysts and technical specialists which is focused on tailored solution builds to complement its existing Manchester-based team.
The group specialises in procurement and menu management software for the catering industry.
Its products include Freshmarkets, a simple purchasing solution that has gone from food to non-food procurement and is now a ‘one stop’ shop, as well as CaterCloud, a next generation allergen, nutrition, menu planning and costing system that enables caterers to stay on top of food safety, deliver compliance and maintain cost controls.
Paul Mizen, CEO of e-f group, said: “This is an exciting deal for us which is all about the future of e-f group.
“The APL acquisition was a substantial investment for us and will take us to that next level, supporting our vision to become the industry leaders in solution and software development. This falls in line with our core purpose, which is to maximise the efficiency and value of our clients and business partners.”
He added: “Our business is progressing at a fast pace and there are key strategic synergies with the acquisition of APL which will enable us to tap into new markets and grow our current markets, consolidate and harmonise our software development, and diversify our core offering. Together both businesses are stronger.”
Kerry Pitt, APL managing director, said: “We have partnered with e-f group for the last seven years and through collaboration and co-innovation our Freshmarkets platform has developed to become the leading procurement solution in the industry. It was a natural and exciting step to become part of e-f group and following the acquisition we have welcomed significant investment in our people which has scaled the team across the UK.”
