An experience and technology business with a substantial Northern presence has acquired two consultancies, expanding its offer into brand strategy and global consumer research.
UNRVLD, which has around half its team based across Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool, has bought The Value Engineers and 2CV from private equity investor Vespa Capital. Terms have not been disclosed.
The two businesses have been acquired from private equity investor Vespa Capital for an undisclosed sum, bringing around 70 strategists, researchers and data specialists into the group.
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All three businesses are UK headquartered. The deal adds brand strategy, innovation and global consumer research to UNRVLD’s digital strategy, design and engineering offer.
The Value Engineers has 40 years of brand strategy experience and works with clients including Starbucks, Carlsberg and global gaming brands. 2CV has 37 years of quantitative and qualitative research experience, with teams in London, California and Singapore and clients including HP, Coca-Cola and Transport for London.
UNRVLD said the acquisition would connect customer research, brand and growth strategy with the design and delivery of digital experiences, supporting its strategy around experiences fuelled by AI.
“We’ve built a strong reputation for creating and delivering the experience,” said Dan Berry, CEO of UNRVLD. “TVE and 2CV give UNRVLD the evidence and judgement which complements that offer for large enterprises. This combination allows us to offer a holistic approach to delivering the intelligent experiences of tomorrow.”
The Value Engineers and 2CV have worked together as sister companies for several years, sharing clients, a data science capability and an approach to new business.
Both will continue under their existing leadership, with their CEOs joining UNRVLD’s executive team. UNRVLD said investment would support the development of their practices and expand what they can offer clients.
“Our team will remain focused on what we do best, but the difference is that our advice no longer has to stop at the recommendation,” said Fleur Horner, CEO of The Value Engineers. “We get to see our ideas become reality, and we keep the independence from media networks that makes clients trust us in the first place.”
“Insight has spent too long being commissioned, delivered and then filed,” said Chris Oatey, CEO of 2CV.
The deal continues a buy-and-build programme backed by BGF and supported by the funding package UNRVLD secured with Barclays earlier this year.
“We are not finished,” Berry added. “This is a deliberate acquisition programme and we have the backing to keep going. We are actively evaluating businesses that add strategic capability to further support the breadth of what will be needed to enable intelligent experiences.”
UNRVLD’s clients include Barratt Redrow, Smeg, Greystar, Crystal Palace FC, Diageo, Kearney, Linklaters and Welsh Water.
