Shaw & Co, the specialist corporate finance advisory firm, has advised on the successful sale of Keep IT Simple Ltd (KITS) to The Panoply Holdings PLC, the technology-enabled services group focused on digital transformation.

KITS provides high value IT support and transformation services to public and private sector clients. Regarded as experts in service integration and management, which is seen by large organisations as the highest value-added layer in the technology services stack, KITS has built a reputation in the public sector for transforming and running live and critical services. Its clients include the Rural Payments Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

A growth opportunity

The acquisition of KITS enables The Panoply to pursue ever larger contracts across both public and commercial sectors. Having joined The Panoply, KITS will sit under the Foundry4 brand as part of the deep tech ‘engine room’ of the Group. Foundry4 helps organisations in highly regulated sectors harness technology to solve complex challenges, focusing on CTO/CIOs looking to enable digital transformation through the adoption of hyper scale cloud, data analytics, AI and machine learning and automation.
‍

"
This acquisition marks a milestone in our growth journey, as we become part of a modern, agile and rapidly scaling Group which is set to become a key player in our field. The support of The Panoply will fuel our ambitious plans for expansion, as we roll out our leading capabilities to a wider set of clients. "‍

Grant Harris,
Chief Executive Officer at Keep IT Simple

‍

Neal Gandhi, Chief Executive Officer of The Panoply said: “The Board and I are delighted to have found another ethical business to join our purpose-driven Group. Together, I am confident we can drive positive change through technology, in a responsible way, and I look forward to seeing what we will achieve.”
‍

"
The story of KITS is a phenomenal one. Grant has built a team of standout experts that are making a real difference to their clients. Digital transformation is top of the agenda for all organisations at present and KITS is an exceptional provider in that space. We were delighted to advise KITS on its strategic options and ultimately a deal with The Panoply. "

Jim Shaw
Founder & CEO at Shaw & Co

‍

Tim Roberts, Corporate Finance Director at independent UK law firm Burges Salmon, led the team that provided legal advice to KITS on the sale. Roberts commented: “We have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside KITS CEO Grant Harris and the team at Shaw & Co on the sale. We’ve seen a real uptick in deal flow over the last six months demonstrating that the appetite for successful UK companies remains strong, particularly in the tech space and this deal is a great example of strategic M&A being executed successfully. We wish Grant and The Panoply all the best in growing the business together to deliver KITS’ expertise in the sector to a wider audience.”

One of the key benefits of the acquisition include the significant expansion of The Panoply’s digital transformation capabilities for the public sector, enabling the Group to provide an ongoing managed support service to clients. While The Panoply’s strength in technology has previously been in the discovery, alpha and beta (user research, design, prototyping and development) stages, the Group now has the capability to secure additional contracts running high value, high profile services to public sector customers, providing a complete end-to-end offering.

‍