Global consulting firm acquires Coventry digital engineering firm

Global consulting firm Accenture has agreed to purchase Coventry-based Objectivity, for an undisclosed fee.

The move sees more than 700 staff join Accenture’s cloud and digital consulting arm.

With headquarters in Coventry, Objectivity will bring additional scale and resources from its operations in the UK, Poland, Germany and Mauritius.

Objectivity’s extensive experience in platform engineering, cloud native computing and application modernisation will bolster Accenture’s Cloud First capabilities to help clients tap into more open and adaptable platform models and services in order to accelerate their digital transformation.

“A new wave of platform engineering is creating opportunities for companies to accelerate reinvention and value creation.​ With a strong digital core powered by cloud, organisations can continuously adapt to industry dynamics, using platforms to reimagine value chains and embrace new business models,” said Karthik Narain, global lead for Accenture Cloud First.

“Objectivity’s strong engineering culture and delivery experience will help our clients pivot and launch new products quickly and efficiently.”

“The world is undergoing massive changes, which requires organisations to continuously reinvent themselves to drive value. The breadth and depth of Objectivity’s engineering assets and talent will bolster our European platform engineering capabilities, providing our clients with the agility they need to redefine their businesses and industries,” said Jean-Marc Ollagnier, CEO of Accenture for Europe.

Rob Helle, founder of Objectivity, said: “For more than 30 years, Objectivity has provided innovative thinking to create the most fit-for-purpose digital solutions. Our values-driven culture allowed us to successfully become an international, virtual organisation, where clients and employees have been continuously growing together. Joining the Accenture team will enable us to achieve more because we will be stronger together with Accenture.”

Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions.

Alantra advised the shareholders of Objectivity.

The team comprised James Chapman-Andrews, Simon Roberts, Milan Vashi and Sheroze Malik.

Chapman-Andrews, UK head of technology, said: “CEO Rob Helle and the Objectivity team have built a phenomenal business with an unparalleled delivery footprint and this transaction marks a major milestone for them. It has been a pleasure working closely alongside the team for the last 18 months to prepare for this event and we look forward to following their progress in this next chapter.

“Global strategic and financial investors are actively pursuing opportunities, like Objectivity, that are driving growth through in-demand capabilities, a world-class client base and an established UK and European presence.”