Edinburgh business snaps up software-developer

An Edinburgh-based professional services and consulting business has sealed its latest acquisition in recent years, snapping up a 3D computeraided design (CAD) and datamanagement specialist located in the Midlands.

Visiativ UK has bought Solid Apps, which focuses exclusively on the Solidworks range of products, and supplies and implements on-going support to customers across the UK with a particularly strong client base in Birmingham, Manchester, Oxford, and London.

The Scottish firm, which says it offers an innovation funding consultancy service plus digital engineering and manufacturing services to its global client base, says the deal (terms of which have not been disclosed) will further develop the latter side of its business and extend its reach into the UK CAD market. Scott Henderson, CEO of Visiativ UK said: “We’ve grown significantly over the past three years through our relentless focus on customer service, but our ambition has always been to extend further into the CAD market. Solid Apps is the ideal partner to do just that with… Our acquisition strategy is to look for businesses which share our values, and have customer service at the heart of what they do. Our acquisitions over the past few years have been based on these same principles.”

Chris Hill, who founded Solid Apps in Oldbury, near Birmingham, in 1998, and holds the title of MD at the firm, said: “While looking towards my own retirement, I also wanted to secure the future of the business, our team, and the service we provide to our clients. In Visiativ we’ve found a partner with experience, expertise and a strong focus on customer service.”