ClearCourse acquires Bristol-based operational and digital solutions provider Felinesoft

Mar 09, 2020

London | 09 March 2020 - ClearCourse Partnership LLP (“ClearCourse” or “the Group”), a group of innovative technology companies providing digital services, work-flow solutions, and payments capabilities to the membership, events & bookings, sports & leisure and healthcare sectors, today announces the acquisition of Felinesoft (“the Company”). Felinesoft provides digital and operational solutions for some of the UK’s most established businesses and charities.

Since its foundation in 2001, Felinesoft has built its position as a well-respected industry provider of technology products and digital service solutions, including user experience design, Microsoft Dynamics 365, digital transformation and website and app development. As a Microsoft Gold Partner, its customers have access to in-house Microsoft certified developers offering the highest levels of service across Microsoft’s Dynamics platform and its cloud services. The Company’s continuous improvement model allows it to provide ongoing digital transformation, improving all areas of technology that are relevant to its clients. Felinesoft has worked with an array of recognisable UK businesses, such as Macmillan, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, Kennel Club, and Age UK.

The addition of Felinesoft to the Group strengthens ClearCourse’s growing presence in the not-for-profit and CRM industries, increasing the scope of its sector specific integration and cross-sell capabilities. Felinesoft will receive strategic and operational guidance from ClearCourse’s expert team, as well as financial resources to support the expansion of its technology products and its acquisitive ambitions. Additionally, the Company will be able to integrate with proprietary technologies from across the Group, including payments processing capabilities and first-class data validation.

Being part of ClearCourse will give us access to the breadth of operational, strategic and financial support we need to enhance our customer service and the solutions available to our clients.

Ralph Johnson – Managing Director of Felinesoft

Gerry Gualtieri, CEO of ClearCourse, commented: “Felinesoft has achieved a strong market position by offering an excellent level of service and expertise to its notable list of clients. There are clear synergies with our existing Group companies, and they present another valuable opportunity for integration with our range of software solutions across the Group. In partnership with Felinesoft’s accomplished management team and dedicated employees, we look forward to supporting the Company’s continued growth.”

Ralph Johnson, Managing Director of Felinesoft, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the growth and scale we have achieved over the past 19 years. Gerry and the ClearCourse team have demonstrated a great understanding of the sectors we operate in and of the values we have built the business on, empowering companies with the tools to achieve their objectives. Being part of ClearCourse will give us access to the breadth of operational, strategic and financial support we need to enhance our customer service and the solutions available to our clients. We have watched the ClearCourse story evolve and are excited to join them on this journey.”

< Older Post Newer Post >

a man and a woman are playing tennis on a tennis court at night.

Software and Payments Specialist ClearCourse Acquires Award Winning Club Scheduling SaaS Business, ThinkSmart Software

07 Feb, 2024

London, 7 February 2024 – ClearCourse, a leading provider of industry-specific software and embedded payments for SMEs and targeted enterprises, announces the acquisition of ThinkSmart Software (“ThinkSmart”), an independent software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) provider delivering an innovative technology for businesses that offer clubs and classes in the UK and Australia as well as other global markets. This strategic acquisition will be integrated as part of ClearCourse’s growing Business Services division. Founded in 2008, ThinkSmart is a scheduling and customer management platform for businesses that conduct classes and take bookings. Today, ThinkSmart serves approximately 2,500 customers predominately within the children’s activities sector, offering a user-friendly, intuitive product which helps “class-based” businesses with managing all day-to-day administration. Its award-winning software helps clients across the tennis, swimming, gymnastics, dance, music and sports sectors automate processes so that they can spend more time managing their business and working with their customers. ThinkSmart’s innovative technology streamlines several business admin tasks, including class scheduling, customer management and communications as well as invoicing and payments systems. Christina Hamilton, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are extremely pleased to announce ThinkSmart as the latest software business to join our group. We look forward to welcoming the ThinkSmart team, led by founder Andy Leigh and UK Managing Director George Bentley, and working with them to enhance their offering across the growing, class-led activities sector. This investment is a further milestone in the growth of ClearCourse which continues to expand in the UK market as well as internationally.” Andrew (Andy) Leigh, Founder and Managing Director of ThinkSmart, commented: “In ClearCourse we have found a likeminded, customer-focused partner that will support a new phase of growth for ThinkSmart. As part of ClearCourse, we will be focused on continuously improving the industry-specific software solutions we offer our customers across the world, as well as looking for opportunities to expand our services.” George Bentley, UK Managing Director said: “ClearCourse has built a unique and compelling group of software companies and payments capabilities, and we are excited to continue growing our business supported by the rich experience and infrastructure now available to us. In particular, working with ClearCourse will enable us to offer our UK growing customer base market-leading, embedded Direct Debit and card payment solutions which will make accepting and managing payments quicker and easier.” Established in London in 2018, ClearCourse is a leading software and embedded payment specialist servicing SMEs and targeted enterprise customers. The group’s vertical software solutions provide essential, market-leading technology to help their customers manage and grow their businesses. Since inception, the company has undergone rapid growth by acquiring 40 leading software and payments solutions in the market verticals in which it operates: Retail & Hospitality, Golf & Leisure, Business Services and Membership Services. Christina Hamilton added: “ClearCourse is a growth company with a clear ambition to help our customers build great businesses with our industry-specific software and embedded payments solutions. We acquire small- and medium-sized businesses and integrate them into the ClearCourse group of companies to benefit their growth and development, while delivering the same for our customers with their own growth aspirations. Our acquisition of ThinkSmart is our first investment in 2024 and marks a successful start to what we expect to be a year of continued growth for ClearCourse.” The terms of the deal are undisclosed.

Nathan Best ClearCourse Chief Operating Officer

Software and Payments Specialist ClearCourse appoints Nathan Best as Chief Operating Officer

04 Jul, 2023

ClearCourse, a leading provider of industry-specific software and payments for UK SMEs, announces the appointment of FinTech veteran Nathan Best as Chief Operating Officer.