Leeds AI consultancy bought in £8m deal

Leeds-based data and AI consultancy, Oakland Group Services, has been bought by a listed IT infrastructure company in an £8m deal.

Oakland has been acquired by Softcat in a move to broaden its portfolio and support customers in all areas of their evolving technology infrastructure.

Oakland’s specialist consultancy services range from data strategy and governance, through to architecture and engineering, analytics and AI. The company employs 70 people, and in the twelve months to 31 December 2024 generated revenue of around £10m. Oakland is an existing partner to Softcat.

A payment of £8m has been funded by Softcat’s existing cash, with further contingent payments over the next 3 years depending on performance.

As part of the transaction, Oakland’s leadership team will join Softcat to run the business initially as a standalone operating unit, aligning with Softcat’s sales team to maximise the shared growth opportunity.

Richard Corderoy, Oakland CEO, said: “We are excited to join forces with Softcat. By combining our deep expertise in data and AI consulting with Softcat’s extensive portfolio and market presence, we can deliver unparalleled value and innovation to our clients. This partnership marks a significant milestone in our journey, and we’re looking forward to achieving great things together.”

Graham Charlton, Softcat CEO, added: “Data is one of the biggest opportunities ahead of us as innovation in technology continues to shift rapidly towards a more automated and AI-driven world. Our customers need expert support to navigate this transition, so by combining Softcat’s market presence and broad portfolio with Oakland’s specialist capabilities, we can guide customers through every stage of this journey.

“The acquisition of Oakland delivers an immediate, strategically important addition to our portfolio of services, and most importantly brings into the Softcat family a fantastic group of people who we know well and who align closely to our culture and values.”

Law firm Addleshaw Goddard advised Oakland on the deal, with a team including Richard Hunt, Tom Hopwood, Cameron Allwood and Ben Atkinson.

Clearwater also advised and their team was Richard Goldsack, James Croxen and Tom Kaye.