From a standing start in 2016 Liverpool digital consultancy Bluprintx has built a global presence, turns over £14m a year and has now announced a £6.2m overseas acquisition. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool digital consultancy Bluprintx has announced the latest in a string of acquisitions, buying an overseas business for £6.2m.

Formed in 2016 in partnership with the University of Liverpool, Bluprintx describes itself as a “digital transformation consultancy”. It utilises tech and AI to transform clients’ marketing, sales, and service strategies.

From its headquarters in the Ropewalks district of Liverpool city centre, Bluprintx runs a global operation employing 200 people with offices in Dallas in the US, Hungary, Australia, and Singapore.

Its most recent accounts for the 12 months to December 31, 2023, revealed revenues of £14.3m and pre-tax profits of £725,759. At the end of the accounting period it had net assets of just over £4m and paid dividends of £288,000.

In September 2024 private equity outfit Palatine acquired a stake in Bluprintx. The exact value of the deal was undisclosed but, according to information filed at Companies House, a new holding structure for the business was established.

This entity, Project Twenty Topco, acquired 100% of the share capital of the business, valuing it at just under £27m. Around 75% of the share capital is owned by Bluprintx founder and chief executive Lee Hackett, with Palatine holding the remainder.

Bluprintx has pursued a strategy of growth by acquisition. In April 2024 it paid £4.4m for US consultancy Definitive Results. It followed this up with buyouts of ITG Consulting and Evolve Development for a total of £6.4m.

This week it has announced another strategic purchase, buying Skie, a Salesforce consultancy, which operates globally from locations in Australia and Singapore, for £6.2m.

This deal was funded by a £5m from alternative lender Thincats through which it also now has access to £17m borrowing to fund working capital and further acquisitions over the next five years.

Lee Hackett, former professional footballer with Wigan Athletic, said: “Skie brings exceptional Salesforce capabilities, a brilliant leadership team, and a depth of experience that aligns perfectly with our broader strategy.

“This acquisition strengthens our position across APAC and adds new momentum to our goal of reaching £100m in revenue, while helping enterprise clients scale intelligently through data, AI, and technology-led transformation.”

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Founded just over six years ago, Skie has established itself as one of the Asia-Pacific’s fastest-growing Salesforce consultancies, with more than 210 certifications and a 50-strong team of experts.

Its co-founder and managing director, Adam Troughear, will join the Bluprintx leadership team, contributing to the development and execution of the company’s global Salesforce strategy.

James Painter, senior investment director at Palatine, said: “Skie is a great fit given its Salesforce expertise and capability in relation to Agentforce. We look forward to continuing to support Bluprintx on its acquisitive strategy.”