Celebrating four years of ClearCourse: reflections on growth

October 4, 2022

It’s true what they say about time flying by. 

 

In October 2018, ClearCourse was founded by our CEO Gerry Gualtieri and Head of M&A, Joshua Rowe, as an ambitious business prospect with potential: an idea that won the faith of an experienced executive team and the initial investment of Aquiline Capital Partners in the US. 

 

Four years later, our group has seen significant growth. We have active regional offices, over 900 employees and almost 40 businesses – and we fully expect to reach new heights in 2023 and beyond.

 

Our achievements to date are worth celebrating far and wide. Those stem directly from our core philosophy of ‘working better together’, which we value most. Indeed, the last four years have been full of change and growth – and it’s worth taking some time to consider the biggest steps in our journey to become a unified group and a growing influence in business software.

a logo for the scale up awards with a bird on it .

ClearCourse named as Business Leader Scale-Up Awards 2022 finalist

 

In addition to reaching our own milestones, it’s equally gratifying to be recognised by the industry this year.

 

We were delighted to hear that we’d been named as one of the finalists in two categories of the Business Leader Scale-Up Awards 2022: Technology Scale-Up and Overall Scale-Up Business. 

 

It’s the first time we’ve entered awards like these, and to be named as a finalist from more than 500 fantastic entrants is a great accolade for everyone who’s played a part in the ClearCourse story. 

 

Earning external recognition is always a rewarding feeling. Indeed, being told by a panel of impartial industry experts (including Touker Suleyman from Dragon’s Den and PensionBee Co-founder Jonathan Lister Parsons) that our journey is impressive is, we hope, an encouraging sign of our positive impact.

Finding new milestones

 

In moments of reflection, it’s sometimes staggering to see just how much we’ve done in a relatively short period, which was made even shorter – and infinitely more challenging – by the global pandemic. 

 

But scaling so quickly isn’t easy, and there remains much to achieve as we move forward. It’s important for everyone – from our team to our future business prospects – to continue to see and embrace progress. ClearCourse thrives on the absolute commitment and dedication to excellence that our teams work hard to foster. 

 

Indeed, our commitments to integration, collaboration and investing in great people, as well as great businesses, will remain as grounding values we take forward as we embark on further growth. 

 

That’s what ‘working better together’ is all about.


In the years to come, here’s to breaking new records and celebrating new wins. 

A member of staff at a farm shop smiles as she operates an EPOS terminal
July 29, 2025
LONDON 29 July 2025: ClearCourse, the provider of industry-specific software and embedded payment solutions for SMEs, announces the acquisition of Davidson Richards, a leading retail management and EPOS (electronic point of sale) systems provider. Davidson Richards provides cloud-based management and EPOS systems tailored to the retail industry. Founded in 1977 and based in Derby, Davidson Richards launched its flagship product, OpSuite, in 2012 after recognising the need to address gaps left by off-the-shelf products. Today, OpSuite enables retailers to centralise and streamline operations by integrating with core systems such as accounting software, eCommerce platforms, mobile and loyalty applications, and warehousing. Trusted by many leading garden centres – a sector where OpSuite has established a strong reputation – its extensive functionality also makes it suitable for a broad range of sectors, including grocery, fashion, and furniture. Joining the ClearCourse group will enable Davidson Richards to expand their offerings, providing customers with in-house payment and eCommerce solutions. By offering these in partnership with other specialist ClearCourse companies, Davidson Richards will be able to focus on building new client relationships and to profile the benefits of OpSuite to new retail market segments. Led by a long-serving expert team including ex-retailers, Davidson Richards offers its clients consultancy, training, bespoke development and dedicated in-house support. Their customer centric approach means that many of the Davidson Richards team are directly involved in technical or support delivery for clients to provide greater value to its clients. ClearCourse aims to become the engine powering small and medium businesses across the UK by putting big tech solutions in the hands of founders and their growing businesses. Davidson Richards offers a clear opportunity for ClearCourse to deepen its presence in the retail sector, and its long-standing, loyal customer base and experienced team closely align with ClearCourse’s culture and values. Christina Hamilton, CEO of ClearCourse said: “We are delighted to welcome Davidson Richards into the ClearCourse group as part of our Retail & Hospitality Software vertical. OpSuite is a market leading product that is well positioned to expand its innovative offering into new sectors. We are excited about the natural integration this partnership enables, as OpSuite will be able to offer in-house payment and other commerce enabling solutions through the wider ClearCourse group products.” Keith Bateman, Sales Director at Davidson Richards said: “This acquisition marks an exciting new chapter for our business and customers. Joining the ClearCourse group will enable us to enhance the service we offer our customers, particularly through the introduction of an in-house Electronic Funds Transfer solution. ClearCourse is the ideal partner to help us to grow the business through an increased investment into marketing and to reach more customers.”
June 25, 2025
LONDON, 25 June 2025 : ClearCourse, a provider of industry-specific software and embedded payment solutions for SMEs and targeted enterprises, today announced the appointment of Sacha Bielawski as Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Sacha will lead ClearCourse’s financial strategy, working with senior leaders to accelerate organic growth, drive profitable sales, and deliver the company’s goal of being a leading engine powering small and mid-sized businesses across the UK. Before joining ClearCourse, Sacha spent nearly nine years as Chief Financial Officer at Coople, a leading digital staffing agency, where he led corporate expansion initiatives and oversaw the Group’s financial strategy. He has also held senior roles within private equity and investment firms, where he focused on identifying and scaling high-potential businesses through strategic M&A, financial restructuring and investment projects across Europe and the US. Sacha builds on the achievements of Mark Grafton who will be leaving the company later this month. “We’re delighted to welcome Sacha Bielawski as ClearCourse’s new CFO at this exciting time in the company’s continued evolution” said Christina Hamilton, CEO. “His extensive expertise in scaling businesses, leading growth acceleration programmes and driving innovation and efficiency will be instrumental in delivering our next phase of growth.” “I am delighted to join ClearCourse at such a pivotal time in its journey,” Sacha Bielawski said . “I believe the company is well-positioned to capitalise on the convergence of software and payments, an accelerating trend that presents compelling organic growth opportunities over the coming years. “As ClearCourse continues to acquire software companies in high growth verticals, I look forward to leveraging my entrepreneurial experience to engage with business owners considering a partnership with ClearCourse and to support them post-acquisition to grow further within our platform. “ClearCourse is a business with significant potential, and I am excited to contribute to its next chapter of growth and long-term value creation.”