Cambridge Consultants advises ECI Partners in advance of IoT investment

November 13, 2018 – Cambridge Consultants was selected to advise ECI Partners, a UK private equity firm, during its management buyout of Arkessa, the Internet of Things (IoT) managed services provider. Following a thorough analysis delivered to ECI, the leading nature of Arkessa’s technology platform was confirmed and the investment was completed during summer 2018.

Founded in Cambridge in 2009, Arkessa provides software and services to ‘future proof’ its customers’ connections to the IoT. Arkessa aggregates multiple mobile networks and technologies into a single managed IoT service, regardless of location or wireless technology. 

Due to its depth of technical insight and long track-record in IoT innovation, Cambridge Consultants’ Technology Strategy group was selected to review Arkessa’s offering as part of due diligence in advance of the potential investment. Working closely with our client, Cambridge Consultants advised on technology focus areas, agreed key questions and reviewed Arkessa’s technical documentation, helping ECI to identify any areas of risk or constraint.

The team conducted a ‘red flag’ review within specific technology areas, including platform integration, scalability, evolution, robustness and reliability, capabilities and features and the impact of the evolving IoT landscape.

Completed in just two weeks, the review process demanded a mature technical insight, underpinned by our extensive hands-on experience in developing breakthrough technologies for clients worldwide.

“Cambridge Consultants was able to assemble a team with specialist expertise across the breadth of the business’s technological capability, enabling us to get comfortable with the technology underpinning Arkessa’s position as an IoT market leader,” said Duncan Ramsay, Investment Manager, ECI Partners. 

The Technology Strategy Consulting group at Cambridge Consultants consists of engineers and scientists with considerable commercial experience. The group works at the intersection of business decisions and technology, applying insight based on real-world experience across a range of market sectors. Advising a diverse group of clients, the group addresses critical questions, including: “What new technologies are on the horizon and how will they affect client businesses?”, “Which other sectors are pioneering new technologies and what can be learnt from them?”, or, “What are the strengths and weaknesses of a particular technology or approach?”

“Our broad track record in IoT innovation, coupled with in-depth business knowledge, and access to experts in a broad range of markets, allowed us to give bespoke and high-value consultancy to guide ECI’s investment,” said Tim Winchcomb, leader of the Technology Strategy group at Cambridge Consultants. “We quickly mobilised a project team which brought together many years of experience in developing practical, real-world solutions with the necessary sector and commercial understanding. This combination enabled us to identify the key technical points and relate them to our client’s investment case, all in the context of the wider market direction.”