London | 1 August 2019 – ClearCourse Partnership LLP (“ClearCourse” or “the Partnership”), a group of innovative technology companies providing software, services and digital capabilities to the membership, events & bookings and sports & leisure sectors, today announces the acquisition of Protech (“the Company”), a leader in the provision of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and the creation of websites specifically for Professional Awarding Bodies and Membership Organisations. Protech is ClearCourse’s 12th acquisition since October 2018, solidifying the Partnership’s position as a key player in the CRM sector.
Protech was founded in 1995 to deliver CRM software and change management services to the not for profit and public sectors from its headquarters in The West Midlands. The Company is a certified Crown Commercial Supplier on the G-Cloud 11 framework in the cloud hosting, software and support service category, meaning that its services have been carefully evaluated by the UK Government, gaining approval to work with any public sector organisation in the country. The Company utilises its best of breed ProConnect technology to deliver a broad suite of CRM and digital services to support its clients in the key areas of membership & subscriptions, qualifications & learning management and event management. Its clients include NCC Education, The Association for Project Management, The Chartered Management Institute, The Institute of Brewing and Distilling, the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors and the College of Policing, for which it led the development of a digital first strategy for professional development in policing.
ClearCourse was founded to help add value in innovative UK-based technology companies with strong management teams and complementary offerings, facilitating operational and commercial synergies and enabling cross-selling of relevant products and services. ClearCourse will provide Protech with the financial resources to continue its growth within the not-for-profit and public sectors as well as opportunities to work closely with the other Partnership companies, including NetXtra who Protech already has an established relationship with, to reach an expanded potential client base.
Gerry Gualtieri, CEO of ClearCourse, commented: “Protech is a fantastic addition to the ClearCourse Partnership as we expand our CRM offering into the not-for-profit sector. The Company has a great reputation for working closely with its peers to deliver industry leading projects to their clients, which is exactly the kind of culture we are nurturing within the Partnership. We look forward to supporting Protech’s ongoing growth strategy and expansion plans.”
Following the acquisition, Founder Mark Trouth will step down as CEO in order to take on an advisory role with the group. Going forward, the business will be led by Jenny Watkins in the new role of Managing Director. Jenny currently serves as Protech’s COO and has been with the company for over 19 years. She will take over from Mark with immediate effect and will be responsible for ongoing strategy and operations for the business.
Mark Trouth, Founder of Protech, said: “For over 20 years, Protech has been a trusted partner to NFP and public sector organisations. In that time, we have established ourselves as an industry leader. I’m really proud to have led the business to where it is today and look forward to working with Jenny and the team at ClearCourse to continue delivering the best service we can to our growing client base.”
The financial terms of the deal are undisclosed.
About ClearCourse Partnership LLP
ClearCourse Partnership LLP is an innovative group of technology companies that offer complementary work-flow solutions, payments capabilities, and digital services to the membership, events & booking, and sports & leisure sectors.
ClearCourse was founded in 2018 with backing from Aquiline Capital Partners, a New York and London-based private equity firm investing in businesses globally across the financial services and technology sectors. Since then, the company has acquired 12 software and services companies.
To discover more of the companies in the partnership visit the ClearCourse website: www.clearcoursellp.com
About Protech
Protech has been providing software for professional awarding and membership organisations for almost 25 years. Today, some of the country’s most respected organisations rely on the company’s ProConnect™ software to engage, communicate and transact with more than 2.5 million learners, members and customers.
The powerful CRM functionality at the heart of ProConnect effortlessly manages qualifications and membership while automating manual processes to minimise operating cost. It ships with a fully featured content management system, making it the perfect tool to construct websites and user portals. ProConnect can also manage events, host content, and operate job boards, forums and blogs. These features allow Protech’s clients to increase the acquisition and retention of members, maximise engagement and enhance member value through an enhanced user experience.
All projects are supported by Protech’s industry-leading consultancy services. This approach facilitates the seamless transition to ProConnect while on-house data transformation expertise eradicates disparate data in multiple systems across the client’s business. Because of this, an astonishing 95% of client projects are launched on-time and to the original budget.
Protech’s aim is to help facilitate the sense of belonging between people and their organisations, enabling them to achieve more together.
Learn more at www.Protech.co.uk
ClearCourse contacts:
Edward Jones-Davies, Hawthorn Advisors
(t:) 020 3745 4960
(e:) e.jones-davies@hawthornadvisors.com
Caitlin Griffith, Hawthorn Advisors
(t:) 020 3745 4960
(e:) c.griffith@hawthornadvisors.com
