Altran buys data science firm Tessella, adds 230 experts
Technology and engineering consultancy Altran has acquired Tessella, an analytics and data science advisory with over 230 professionals across offices in the UK, the USA and the Netherlands. Tessella will be integrated into Altran’s network of World Class Centers and complement the firm’s existing VueForge offering.
Last week Monday, Altran’s CEO Dominique Cerutti unveiled the firm’s new ambitious strategic plan, dubbed ‘Altran 2020. Ignition’, which aims at nearly doubling its revenue in the coming five years, from €1.8 billion today to over €3 billion in 2020. The Big Data and data analytics domain is earmarked as one of the key growth drivers of the strategy, and in line with the goals, Cerutti has moved quickly. Yesterday the French-origin consulting services giant – Altran employs nearly 25,000 employees in 20+ countries – confirmed that it has bought Tessella.
Founded in 1980, by Kevin Gell, Tessella is an Abingdon-based (close to Oxford, UK) firm that supports clients with a range of machine learning, analytics and consulting services. Roughly ten years after its inception the company broke through the barrier of 50 employees, and in 2001 it opened its first overseas office in The Hague, Netherlands. Since, Tessella has also opened two hubs in the US: in Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington DC. Across its four offices the technology consultancy now employs over 230 engineers, data scientists and business consultants, generating a revenue of €30 million (FY2014). Key clients include Airbus Defence and Space, AstraZeneca, AkzoNobel, BP, GSK, Shell and Unilever, with several other clients served in aerospace and defense, consumer goods, energy, life sciences and science research sectors.
Tessella’s capability in data analytics will enhance Altran’s Intelligent Systems expertise and VueForge portfolio (the firm’s Big Data suite launched in October last year), says Cerutti. “As our global economy becomes increasingly data-driven, we know that we need to provide enhanced solutions to help our clients to derive tangible value from the exponential growth of machine-driven Big Data. Tessella’s unique knowledge and impressive team of high-quality data scientists will strengthen our VueForge offer, and the integration into our network of World Class Centers adds value to our global offer portfolio and ultimately to our customers.”
“Joining Altran provides Tessella a fantastic opportunity to fulfil our vision to be a world leader in advanced analytics, to expand our client base and enter untapped industrial sectors, for the benefit of all our stakeholders," comments Alan Gaby, Chief Executive of Tessella.
M&A spree
Earlier this year Altran purchased SiCon Design Technologies, an India-based specialist in Intelligent Systems, IJS Consultants, a niche consultancy based in the UK focused on the nuclear sector, and Nspyre, a transaction which added 680 advisors to its Benelux division.
