Sheffield consultancy The Curve lands tech veteran's backing for M&A push
What's the deal? The CurveDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Sheffield-based technology consultancy, has secured early-stage investment from UK tech veteran Glyn HeathDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → to fund growth, including acquisitions. Founded by brothers Paul and James Ridgway, the firm helps organisations design and deliver software and digital transformation projects.
What's the endgame? The Curve wants to serve the mid-market — organisations too large for small consultancies but too price-sensitive for global players. It has formed a new holding company and plans to buy complementary businesses in adjacent fields such as IT managed services, cybersecurity, and data.
Who's backing it? Heath founded and led an IT services and software provider, which he exited in 2017, and has advised The Curve since 2023. "I could see a strong opportunity in the mid-market for the kind of work they do," he said, adding that technology once cost-prohibitive is "now within reach" for these businesses.
The new hires: The Curve has recruited Claire Howarth as head of sales, bringing 25 years of experience in revenue growth and team building, and Daniel Winfield as head of marketing, who joined from a global technology consultancy. The hires support a scale-up across Sheffield, Leeds — where it opened an office last year — and Manchester.
Why now? Chief Executive Paul Ridgway described the plan as "an aggressive strategy and one we're pursuing with real intent." He said the ambition is "to build something that goes well beyond just another technology consultancy."
The signal: The round reflects confidence in regional UK tech hubs, with The Curve betting that mid-market firms will increasingly buy software and transformation work as costs fall. For a consultancy, pairing a buy-and-build strategy with senior commercial hires signals an intent to consolidate a fragmented market rather than grow organically alone.
Read more: yorkshiretimes.co.uk
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