Partnership Of Membership Software Companies Expands Offering Into Exhibition And Conference Space

Mar 28, 2019

London | 28 March 2019 - ClearCourse Partnership LLP (“ClearCourse” or “the Partnership”), a group of innovative technology companies providing membership software and services, today announces its acquisition of Circdata (“the company”), a leading provider of event technology. The deal is ClearCourse’s fifth acquisition since its foundation in October 2018 and represents an expansion of the fast-growing Partnership’s offering into the events, exhibitions and conference space.

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Newbury, Circdata was originally a data management company and has since developed into a leading event technology business, providing software solutions to many of the world’s largest exhibition and conference organisers. Its proprietary software platform, Fusion, offers a suite of services connected on one technological platform that aide exhibitor management, visitor registration, ticket sales and subscriptions. Circdata employs c.55 people across its head office in the UK and R&D team in Poland. It is approved by BACS for the handling of direct debit payments and is a certified partner of both Microsoft and Apteco Faststats. Following the acquisition, the company will be led by Chris Clipston, in his new role as Managing Director of Circdata, and the existing management team. James Ormiston, Circdata’s founder, will transition to an advisory and consulting role, working closely with the ClearCourse senior team.

ClearCourse seeks to acquire innovative technology companies that provide software and services to a variety of membership organisations including non-profits, trade associations, trade unions, sporting bodies and charities. Since its foundation in 2018, the Partnership has acquired four other UK-based software and service providers: MillerTech, Silverbear, Clear Direct Debit and APT Solutions. The acquisition of Circdata will expand ClearCourse’s offering into the events, exhibitions and conference space, extending the Partnership’s customer base and creating new opportunities for collaboration across the group. As part of the Partnership, Circdata will gain access to strategic guidance as well as financial and operational support provided by ClearCourse. Additionally, ClearCourse clients will benefit from the world-class services delivered by Circdata.

Becoming part of the ClearCourse Partnership was an attractive option for ensuring the continued development and growth of Circdata.

James Ormiston – Founder of Circdata

Gerry Gualtieri, CEO of ClearCourse, commented: “We are delighted to announce the addition of Circdata to the Partnership. Our mission is to foster talent and innovation in the membership software space, supporting the growth and development of dynamic tech companies through the provision of both capital and operational resource. Circdata’s addition to the group will create several operational and market synergies with our existing companies.”

James Ormiston, Founder of Circdata, added: “Becoming part of the ClearCourse Partnership was an attractive option for ensuring the continued development and growth of Circdata. With several new products and projects in its pipeline, we were looking for a partner that could provide both operational expertise and financial support. In ClearCourse we also found a community of like-minded businesses offering ample opportunity for collaboration and the realisation of synergies.”

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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.