Academia Ltd. and all subsidiaries, has been acquired in majority by Strive Capital, a capital investment company owned by Andrew Harman, the former founder of Annodata.

The acquisition will allow the Academia Group to continue its impressive year-on-year growth whilst expanding and diversifying into additional markets and services. This will also allow Academia to fast track investment into M&A plans and future developments into its existing service propositions. 

The investment aligns with Strive’s strategy, with Academia becoming the cornerstone and foundation for future acquisitions. It also builds on Andrew’s 25 years in the IT industry, having spearheaded the successful growth and sale of Annodata Ltd in 2016.

Commenting on the acquisition, Mike Bacon, Academia Group CEO says, “Academia has worked incredibly hard to provide the very best levels of service and competitive pricing for its customers, which in turn has been solidified by their loyalty to us for almost two decades.

“As we move into the next stage of our development, our customers, along with our staff and wider stakeholders, can be confident the additional resources and wealth of experience, provided by the team at Strive Capital, will enhance our capabilities further. We will be able to offer a wider range of services and establish a secure platform.”

Bacon continued, “I would like to personally thank all our stakeholders, for supporting Academia so far. We look forward to an exciting future ahead.”

Commenting on the announcement, Andrew Harman, founder of Strive Capital says, “I have been reviewing a number of investment opportunities over the past year and feel there is a gap in the market for a consolidated technological offering. Academia has excellent heritage in providing IT services, particularly to thousands of schools, colleges and universities across the UK and has a very strong and experienced management team. Having acquired a major shareholding in the company, I’m excited to be back in the technology sector and I look forward to working with the team and supporting the business on the next stage of its growth. I’m very passionate about the technology sector and together I feel we can make a significant impact in the market.”    

About Academia

Academia is a Value-Added Reseller offering software, hardware, training and dedicated Technical Services. Year on year growth has been driven by business from Education, Charities and Mid-Market sectors. The Academia Group currently employs over 150 staff with an annual turnover of £80m, headquartered in London, with a national presence.

A large proportion of the Group’s revenue is generated from vendors and partnerships such as Apple, Adobe, HP, Microsoft and many other industry leading vendors.

For more information please contact: marketing@academia.co.uk

About Strive Capital

Strive Capital is a capital investments firm, specialising in technology and business services. The company has a wealth of experience in working with industry-leading businesses, in majority or significant minority positions.

Strive’s ethos is to help organisation’s maximise opportunities by providing capital, resources and increased opportunities to accelerate business growth.

For more information, please contact: strive@spreckley.co.uk