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ClearCourse acquires hospitality gift voucher management system Giftpro

December 9, 2019

London | 09 December 2019 - ClearCourse Partnership LLP (“ClearCourse” or “the Partnership”), a group of innovative technology companies providing software, services and digital capabilities to the membership, events & bookings and sports & lifestyle sectors, today announces its acquisition of Giftpro (“the Company”), a software platform that allows hotels, restaurants, spas and other venues to sell and manage gift vouchers and event tickets.


Giftpro was established in 2014 to help hospitality businesses unlock the power of their brands and increase direct sales by selling their experiences as gifts online. The Company’s creative solution allows businesses to sell fully personalised gift vouchers online through its customisable platform, integrating all requisite inputs for the e-commerce transaction to take place. Giftpro provides an end-to-end service, creating the online store and providing merchandising, promotional tools, payment processing and fulfilment capabilities. Its clients comprise of innovative and ambitious hospitality brands, such as, The Ivy Collection, The Pig, Jason Atherton, Searcys and Harbour Hotels, all of which collaborate closely with Giftpro to deliver a seamless digital experience to their customers. The close relationships that Giftpro has developed with its clients have allowed the Company to evolve into the market leader it is today.


The Giftpro acquisition strongly aligns with ClearCourse’s focus on the facilitation of electronic payments through its innovative software platforms. As part of ClearCourse, Giftpro will have the opportunity to further expand its offering to customers with a broader range of payment types, including recurring payments, instalments and other innovations for purchasing higher-value gift vouchers online. The deal also gives rise to cross-selling opportunities for ClearCourse Group companies with direct consumer offerings, including sports clubs, spas, and health centres, which are increasingly selling gift vouchers to customers and will benefit from Giftpro’s e-commerce solution. Giftpro’s entire team, including management, will continue to run the business and deliver for its impressive suite of hospitality brands. 


Together with ClearCourse, we will be able to continue to make e-commerce less complicated for our clients.


Will Howard – Managing Director of Giftpro


Gerry Gualtieri, CEO of ClearCourse, commented: “Giftpro is a creative and fast-growing business with a strong focus on providing excellent customer service. There is a great opportunity for Giftpro to synergise with our Group companies that have direct consumer offerings, allowing them to provide a more integrated and holistic offering to customers than they are able to do on their own. We look forward to working closely with the Giftpro team as they continue to develop and grow their business.”


Will Howard, Managing Director of Giftpro, said: “Giftpro was established in a bid to re-invent e-commerce for the hospitality industry and to build sustainable products that are human centred and results driven. Since then, we’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the world’s most renowned hospitality brands who share our passion for progress and innovation. Together with ClearCourse, we will be able to continue to make e-commerce less complicated for our clients and create value within the Group through the power of shared technology.”


Richard Hull, Co-founder and Creative Director of Giftpro, commented: “Since launching five years ago, we are proud to have built an outstanding team who are results-orientated and committed to continuing to help our clients grow. As a business we are constantly looking for ways to improve our services, and our relationship with ClearCourse will help our clients achieve better results through implementing new and creative ways for them to generate revenue online.”

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.
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