Deloitte bolsters digital offering with swoop on design firm Market Gravity

● Consultancy was founded in 2009 and has Leith studio with seven- strong team

Accounting giant Delo it te said it was bolstering its digital offering in Scotland with the purchase of design consultancy Market Gravity.

Market Gravity, which has a seven- strong team at its Leith studio, has previously worked with the owner of Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks on t he roll-out of itsBf in te cha pp and works in a range of other sectors, including energy and retail.

The consultancy, which will retain its brand, was founded in 2009 and is based in London, with other offices in New York and Toronto. Its staff will become part of Deloitte’s consulting business, while founding partners Gideon Hyde and Peter Sayburn will continue to lead the team as they join the professional services group as partners.

The acquisition follows the launch of De loit te’ s Greenhouse facility in Edinburgh, a “centre of excellence” aimed at helping its clients to prototype new products and services.

Nick Sher ra rd, managing director at Market Gravity in Leith, said :“In the two years since we openedour Ed inburgh base, we’ve had a huge impact in re-imagining the way some of the country’s leading companies think about the future. By joining forces with Deloitte we can now help clients build that future too.

“We know the Deloitte team well because we’ve worked with them before, not least on the development of Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank Group’s B, so we’ll hit the ground running from day one.”

Rich Hurley, technology consultingpartner at De loit te, said: “Having already collaborated on a range of projects in the past, Deloitte and Market Gravity have a proven ability to work together.

“The team at Market Gravity have au niquecom binationof insight, commercial and design skills that give clients confidence to take a big idea and launch it to market–much quicker than previously possible. “Their addition to our existing team will complement and enhance our growing digital offering in Scotland, as we continue to build this side of the firm.”

Richard Houston, UK and northwest European managing partner for consulting at Deloitte, described the acquisition as an “exciting announcement”. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Houtson added: “The Market Gravity team will help boost our creative consulting services and position us as a true market leader in helping clients create and launch innovative products and services. In an age of rapid technological change… we can help clients innovate and succeed.”