Bath-based communication technology firm Gradwell has joined forces with a second firm to create a £17m-turnover business capable of growing its share of a rapidly expanding market.
Gradwell, at one time one of Bath’s fastest-growing firms, and Leeds-based The Technology Group (TTG) will retain their own brands and management under the agreement but will complement each other in taking the combined business to the next level.
Gradwell was launched in Bath in 1998 by Peter Gradwell while still a student. The innovative firm was an early developer of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony in the UK, before diversifying into cloud-based services and connectivity for SMEs.
TTG, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Leeds, provides cloud-based phone systems and business communications services to small and medium-sized businesses, mid-market and enterprise-level organisations worldwide.
Under the new partnership, TTG will continue to work directly with clients, while Gradwell, which predominantly serves a smaller SME client base, will move to a 100% reseller business.
Gradwell chief executive Simon Curry, who will lead the combined group, said: “TTG is a great strategic fit with Gradwell and gives the group clear capabilities to expertly provision and service larger customers with more sophisticated requirements.”
Gradwell chairman Mark Howling added: “Gradwell has a long history of delivering cloud first services to small businesses through the channel. We have recently put a huge amount of time and effort into developing our new next generation cloud voice platform, Wave.
“This investment with TTG means that Gradwell can really focus on delivering a great experience for partners and their customers within the channel.
“TTG is one of the leading providers of managed UCaaS [Unified communications as a service] solutions to medium-to-large organisations in the UK, with a track record of delivering outstanding customer service.
“As it services larger customers, those customers tend to be serviced direct, rather than through partners.
“With the two businesses working together, the group will be able to address a larger part of the UCaaS market, servicing small, medium and large customers in the most appropriate manner.
“The cultures are also very similar, with a strong focus on customer service, and I am confident that the organisations will work well together.”
TTG founder and chief executive Jonathan Marsden will retain an investment in the combined group and will head the Leeds-based business.
He said: “Joining forces with Gradwell will also enable our clients to benefit from the combined buying power of a larger group. And, as more and more companies move their business communications to cloud-based systems, we will have access to 25 dedicated developers who can help further tailor those systems to their specific requirements.”
Peter Gradwell remains with the group as an advisor.
