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

February 7, 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.

Software and Payments Specialist ClearCourse Acquires Leading Hospitality Software Provider, Rezcontrol by Avon Data Systems Ltd.

June 10, 2025
LONDON 10th June 2025 : ClearCourse, the provider of industry-specific software and embedded payment solutions for SMEs and targeted enterprises, announces the acquisition of Rezcontrol by Avon Data Systems Ltd., a leading property management systems (PMS) provider for the hospitality industry. Avon Data Systems Ltd. is one of the largest privately-owned UK technology partners in the property management systems industry, with clients ranging from big hotel groups such as Fuller’s Hotels and Inns to independent hotels across the UK. Founded in 1986, Avon Data Systems Ltd. launched its flagship product, Rezcontrol, in 2020, combining over 30 years’ experience in providing software for the hospitality sector with the latest technology to offer its customers a sophisticated and intuitive tool that’s adaptable to their changing needs. Today, Rezcontrol serves over 450 hotels across the UK, helping them to streamline operations, from guest communications and housekeeping to payments and distribution. Whether a full-service hotel or a pub with rooms, Rezcontrol can be tailored to a customers’ needs, and offers many additional integrations from table reservations and point-of-sale, to CRM and revenue management. A key differentiator for Avon Data Systems Ltd. is its commitment to providing white-glove, personalised support to its customers. Many of its colleagues have direct hotel and hospitality experience, enabling them to act as a collaborative, knowledgeable partner to hotels. This ensures that their customers not only gain a state-of-the-art PMS but also benefit from a knowledgeable team focused on helping them maximize Rezcontrol's potential for their businesses. Joining the ClearCourse group at this time will support Avon Data Systems Ltd.’s ambitious growth plans to become the go-to-solution in the market. The cross-selling opportunities with other leading products in ClearCourse’s portfolio, such as TISSL and Giftpro, will provide Rezcontrol customers with a one-stop-shop for PMS, POS, gifting, embedded payments and more. ClearCourse aims to become a leading engine powering small businesses in the UK by putting big tech solutions in the hands of founders and their growing businesses. This latest addition to the group marks an important step in line with this vision. Christina Hamilton, CEO of Clearcourse said : “It is fantastic to welcome Avon Data Systems into the ClearCourse group as part of our Retail & Hospitality Software division, which will further strengthen our offering in this high-growth sector. Avon Data Systems’ Rezcontrol is an innovative solution that puts cutting-edge software in the hands of growing businesses who need them most. We are excited by the natural integration points of Rezcontrol into our existing customer bases, strengthening the ClearCourse value proposition as an integrated and comprehensive solution set for our customers.” Sarah Cade, Managing Director of Avon Data Systems Ltd. said : “We’re really excited to be joining the ClearCourse group to supercharge our next stage of growth. For the past 30 years, we’ve been working with our customers to ensure we are providing them with the innovative solutions they need to run their businesses smoothly and efficiently. ClearCourse is the ideal strategic partner to continue building on our goal of becoming the go-to solution for hospitality businesses looking for reliable, integrated software and payment solutions.”

Software and Payments Specialist ClearCourse Acquires Carpet and Flooring Retail Software Provider Computers for Flooring

April 16, 2025
ClearCourse, the provider of industry-specific software and embedded payment solutions for SMEs, announces the acquisition of Computers for Flooring, a premier management software provider for the flooring industry.