EKM acquired by ClearCourse

Fulwood-based ecommerce platform EKM has been acquired by ClearCourse Partnership. The financial terms of the deal have not been undisclosed.

Founded in 2002, EKM's software powers more than £350m of transactions annually for its customer base of SME online retailers.

Following the acquisition, ClearCourse will integrate its proprietary payments platform, ClearAccept. Brands across the ClearCourse Partnership, including Swan Retail and The EPOS Bureau, will benefit from EKM’s technology and expertise.

Antony Chesworth, founder and managing director of EKM, said: "We are excited to be joining the ClearCourse Group, which will enable us to take the next steps in our nearly 20-year journey to help even more people to spend life doing something they love with their own easy-to-use online shop.

"The range of services, products and expertise within ClearCourse offers great synergies to our customers and will help us to grow their online businesses even further."

Gerry Gualtieri, CEO of ClearCourse, said: "We are very pleased to announce that EKM will be joining the ClearCourse Group. It is a fantastic business which has grown from strength to strength since its inception, and we are excited to learn from the expertise of Antony and his team. EKM will bring a range of positive synergies to ClearCourse and our existing brands, and its acquisition will be a significant expansion of our e-commerce and retail offering.”

ClearCourse was advised by Squire Patton Boggs (legal), Alvarez & Marsal (finance and tax), and Crosslake (technical due diligence). EKM was advised by Preston Napthens office (legal), Convex Capital (finance), and MHA Moore & Smalley (tax). 

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