a clear course logo on a white background

Celebrating four years of ClearCourse: reflections on growth

October 4, 2022

It’s true what they say about time flying by. 

 

In October 2018, ClearCourse was founded by our CEO Gerry Gualtieri and Head of M&A, Joshua Rowe, as an ambitious business prospect with potential: an idea that won the faith of an experienced executive team and the initial investment of Aquiline Capital Partners in the US. 

 

Four years later, our group has seen significant growth. We have active regional offices, over 900 employees and almost 40 businesses – and we fully expect to reach new heights in 2023 and beyond.

 

Our achievements to date are worth celebrating far and wide. Those stem directly from our core philosophy of ‘working better together’, which we value most. Indeed, the last four years have been full of change and growth – and it’s worth taking some time to consider the biggest steps in our journey to become a unified group and a growing influence in business software.

ClearCourse named as Business Leader Scale-Up Awards 2022 finalist

 

In addition to reaching our own milestones, it’s equally gratifying to be recognised by the industry this year.

 

We were delighted to hear that we’d been named as one of the finalists in two categories of the Business Leader Scale-Up Awards 2022: Technology Scale-Up and Overall Scale-Up Business. 

 

It’s the first time we’ve entered awards like these, and to be named as a finalist from more than 500 fantastic entrants is a great accolade for everyone who’s played a part in the ClearCourse story. 

 

Earning external recognition is always a rewarding feeling. Indeed, being told by a panel of impartial industry experts (including Touker Suleyman from Dragon’s Den and PensionBee Co-founder Jonathan Lister Parsons) that our journey is impressive is, we hope, an encouraging sign of our positive impact.

Finding new milestones

 

In moments of reflection, it’s sometimes staggering to see just how much we’ve done in a relatively short period, which was made even shorter – and infinitely more challenging – by the global pandemic. 

 

But scaling so quickly isn’t easy, and there remains much to achieve as we move forward. It’s important for everyone – from our team to our future business prospects – to continue to see and embrace progress. ClearCourse thrives on the absolute commitment and dedication to excellence that our teams work hard to foster. 

 

Indeed, our commitments to integration, collaboration and investing in great people, as well as great businesses, will remain as grounding values we take forward as we embark on further growth. 

 

That’s what ‘working better together’ is all about.


In the years to come, here’s to breaking new records and celebrating new wins. 

December 11, 2024
11 December 2024, London, UK: ClearCourse, a leading provider of industry-specific software and payments for UK SMEs, is pleased to announce the appointment of FinTech, Software and Payments veteran Simon Black as Non-Executive Director. Simon has a track record of leading technology companies through rapid periods of growth and brings a wealth of experience in strategy, branding, M&A and fundraising. Simon has over three decades of experience in Fintech software and Payments. He is the former CEO of PPRO which he transformed from a German start-up into a global leader in alternative payments, via international expansion and multiple successful funding rounds. Prior to PPRO, Simon was CEO of SagePay, where he led the business to 10x revenue growth. Simon currently advises growth-stage companies and private equity investors on driving innovation, market disruption and long-term growth. This appointment comes at an exciting time for ClearCourse, as the company expands its UK market presence while continuing to provide mission-critical products and services to help customers manage and grow their businesses. Throughout 2024, ClearCourse acquired an additional 4 businesses in ThinkSmart, CSY, Gob2b and Harbour Assist as part of its strategy to build a strong presence in key vertical markets characterised by high digital adoption and establishing itself in the fast-growing online and mobile payments space. Christina Hamilton, CEO of ClearCourse, said: “ I am delighted to welcome Simon to the ClearCourse board at a pivotal stage of our growth journey. He shares our ambition of building the business into a major actor in the embedded fintech space. Simon’s impressive track record of scaling payment businesses will be invaluable in supporting ClearCourse grow further in the UK and beyond and we look forward to working closely with him. ” Simon Black, incoming Non-Executive Director, added: “ I am delighted to be joining the board of ClearCourse, an exciting, innovative business with many opportunities as the high demand for embedded payments from SMBs continues unabated. I have known Christina and the Aquiline team for some time, and I have been impressed by ClearCourse’s rapid growth to date. The Group’s winning combination of deep vertical domain expertise and seamless integrated payments is truly market leading. I look forward to supporting ClearCourse’s continued leadership in attractive key sector verticals. ”
October 17, 2024
London, 17 October 2024 – ClearCourse, a leading provider of industry-specific software and embedded payment solutions for SMEs and targeted enterprises, announces the acquisition of Harbour Assist. Founded in 2013 and based in Cornwall, Harbour Assist is a leading cloud-based marina management system that integrates customer relations, communications, asset management, invoicing and reporting into a single, easy-to-use software package. Harbour Assist serves a diverse range of marina and harbour clients across the UK, Canada, Fiji, Mexico, New Zealand, US, Australia, and the Middle East. Their clients include independent operators and multi-site organisations, Trust Ports and public sector such as Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour, Lakeland Leisure Estates, Fowey Harbour, Port of Ramsgate. Harbour Assist’s reach extends to some of the world’s most prominent marinas and harbours. Harbour Assist’s industry-specific software focuses on enhancing administrative efficiency, improving customer service, and providing robust tools for managing moorings, berths, billing, and communication with boat owners. With ClearCourse, the platform will gain access to embedded payment tools as well as additional development resources, enhancing its capability to deliver a greater quantity of features at pace. Christina Hamilton, Chief Executive Officer of ClearCourse, said : “We are delighted to welcome Harbour Assist into the ClearCourse Group. As a market leader and disrupter in marine and harbour software, Harbour Assist acquisition underscores our aim for success in 2024. This collaboration will not only enhance the service, and solutions offered to Harbour Assist’s customers but also provide them with access to a broader range of resources and expertise. We eagerly anticipate working with Nick, Graham, and the team to explore new markets, improve operational efficiencies, and deliver an integrated offering to our customers.” Nick Gill and Graham Laidler Co-founders of Harbour Assist said : “It’s very exciting to join the ClearCourse group at this crucial stage in our growth journey. For over a decade, we've earned our reputation by delivering mission-critical software designed and developed by a team of maritime professionals. Leveraging years of practical experience and ongoing customer feedback. Partnering with ClearCourse enables us to expand further and future proof our business by adding a range of innovative and efficient payments solutions, something we are incredibly excited about.” Harbour Assist will be part of the ClearCourse Sports and Leisure division. This announcement follows the recent acquisitions of B2B eCommerce platform GOb2b and retail EPOS solutions provider CSY. With these strategic additions, ClearCourse is poised to leverage enhanced capabilities and resources, driving innovation and delivering superior features to its users. Established in London in 2018, ClearCourse is a leading software and embedded payment specialist. The group’s vertical software solutions provide essential, industry-specific technology to help their customers manage and grow their businesses. Since inception, the company has undergone rapid growth by acquiring over 40 leading software and payments solutions in its core market verticals which are all underpinned by ClearCourse Payments and Services. The terms of the deal are undisclosed.
Share by: