Valtech completes acquisition of Kin + Carta

LONDON, UK: 29 April 2024 – Valtech, the global leader in Experience Innovation, has today completed its acquisition of the digital transformation consultancy Kin + Carta. This strategic investment cements Valtech’s position as the first-choice business transformation partner. It enables the company to better support Fortune 500 and household-name brands looking to meet changing consumer expectations, build strong technology foundations, and drive sustainable growth through world-class experiences.

Valtech’s vision has always been to become the world’s most influential Experience Innovation company. This acquisition marks a pivotal moment in achieving that,” said Olivier Padiou, CEO of Valtech. “By bringing Kin + Carta’s extensive expertise and client roster into the fold, we enter a new and exciting era. This means helping brands set new standards with intelligent and personalized experiences, powered by data and AI, that touch lives, grow businesses, and change how people experience the world.

As two purpose-driven companies, it felt natural for Valtech and Kin + Carta to join forces,” added Kelly Manthey, CEO of Kin + Carta. “With clear cultural alignment, complementary capabilities, and a shared vision for our industry, we are much stronger together. Our clients and technology partners will see the immediate benefits of a better, broader range of services. Our people will benefit from expanded career opportunities.

The transaction, valued at £239m, is funded by a combination of shareholder equity and external debt and sees Kin + Carta delisted from the London Stock Exchange. Kelly Manthey, Kin + Carta CEO, will become CEO of Valtech Americas and Chris Kutsor, Kin + Carta CFO, will take the role of Valtech Americas CFO, both effective immediately. Kelly and Chris will also join Valtech’s Executive Committee.

To date, Valtech’s growth strategy has focused on strong organic growth paired with acquiring specialist companies with complementary strengths. This has enabled it to deliver unmatched breadth and depth in its Experience Innovation offering. Acquiring Kin + Carta is a key milestone, as the transaction will bring Valtech close to delivering 1B USD in revenue. The acquisition is Valtech’s biggest investment in the Experience Innovation category and cements its leadership position.

Better together

This strategic acquisition will catapult Valtech to the forefront of Experience Innovation as it fuses cutting-edge technology, consultancy, and creative design to redefine what’s possible for businesses across all sectors and disciplines.

By bringing together two recognized leaders in their respective fields, the combined force of Valtech and Kin + Carta will unlock the following for clients and partners:

• Global scale: Kin + Carta’s sizeable footprint in the US and UK, alongside its LATAM and SEE delivery centers, further strengthens Valtech’s presence in critical growth markets and adds 1,900+ consultants, engineers, and data scientists to its 6,000-strong global team.

• Increased vertical reach: Valtech broadens its retail, finance, automotive and public sector portfolio and reaches new clients in agriculture and other verticals.

• End-to-end delivery: Valtech strengthens its digital engineering, commerce, and experience design expertise with Kin + Carta's cloud, product development, data, and enterprise AI capabilities.

• Expanded offerings: Together, Valtech and Kin + Carta can cross-sell a more robust suite of offerings and jointly pursue larger strategic engagements. Moreover, Kin + Carta adds America's largest automotive manufacturer, top financial institutions, top retailers and distributors (among others) to Valtech's portfolio.

Driving value for clients

This deal represents a strategic acceleration of our vision," added Padiou. “Experience Innovation calls for a comprehensive strategy that seamlessly integrates and connects investments in four critical domains: cloud platforms, data and AI, app modernization, and customer-facing digital channels to create world-class customer experiences that drive sustainable growth.”

At Valtech, we think about these domains as existing along an 'innovation continuum’,” said Padiou. “Our focus on this virtuous cycle sets us apart from other organizations. We understand that for business to truly evolve, we cannot just fix individual problems but must modernize and change whole ecosystems

Valtech’s approach allows clients to create more seamless, adaptable and personalized customer experiences. By tying all the pieces together and making sure each domain supports the others, Valtech’s work doesn’t just have an immediate business impact but also leads to long-term growth.

Given Kin + Carta's deep expertise in cloud platforms, data, and AI, Valtech will be able to work more seamlessly across the full innovation continuum, delivering truly transformative business solutions that push the boundaries of what’s possible in the industry. This creates a powerful force multiplier for innovation and growth.

About Valtech

Valtech is the Experience Innovation company that exists to unlock a better way to experience the world. With a focus on delivering exceptional business results, we empower brands to leap ahead of the competition and go beyond best practices. By blending crafts, categories, and cultures, our team of 6000 professionals in 23 countries help brands unlock value in a digitally accelerated world. It’s at the intersection of insights and perspectives where we leverage the power of data, AI, creativity, and technology to achieve Experience Innovation for many of the world’s best-known brands, including L’Oreal, LVMH, Mars, P&G, Volkswagen, and Dolby. See our work at Valtech.com.

About Kin + Carta

Kin + Carta is a global digital transformation consultancy. We support forward-thinking businesses with a focus on growth, inclusivity, and sustainability. We do this by creating Intelligent Experiences, powered by data and built in the cloud.

Our 1,900 consultants, engineers, and data scientists bring the power of technology, data, and experience to the world’s most influential companies. Together, we help organizations accelerate their digital roadmaps, rapidly innovate, modernize systems, empower teams, and optimize for continued growth.

We’re Kin + Carta and we’re building a world that works better for everyone.

For more information, visit www.kinandcarta.com. www.kinandcarta.com