ClearCourse's Silverbear acquires membership management software provider Decisions

June 4, 2019

London | 04 June 2019 - Silverbear, a member of the ClearCourse Partnership and leading membership and CRM solutions provider for professional organisations, trade associations and the wider Not-for-Profit sector, today announces the acquisition of Decisions (“the company”), a provider of CRM solutions, application development and support for membership associations. The deal was financed by ClearCourse and represents the first acquisition made by one of its companies since the Partnership was set up seven months ago.

Decisions provides configurable, integrated management software and consultancy and events management services to member-driven associations, societies, clubs and professional institutes, such as the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and the Society of Genealogists. Following the acquisition, the company will become part of Silverbear, with all operations being rolled into the business, providing the clients of each business access to a greater range of services and software. The deal therefore represents an expansion of Silverbear’s leading CRM capabilities, adding consultancy and membership business intelligence capabilities to the company’s offering.

Silverbear was acquired by the ClearCourse in December 2018 and is one of seven companies within the Partnership. The acquisition exemplifies the way in which ClearCourse supports the growth and development of market-leading software and service providers within the membership, events & bookings and sports & leisure sectors. ClearCourse’s experienced management team will provide M&A and operational expertise to support the integration of Decisions into Silverbear.

Mark Travis, Senior Principal of Silverbear, commented: “Decisions is a great business with an excellent team. Its products and services are some of the best in the industry and are truly complementary to our offering at Silverbear. This is an exciting development for the company which has been greatly supported by the team at ClearCourse. We are looking forward to being able to provide our expanded range of products to our customers.”

Yoga Gill of Decisions, said: “Joining Silverbear and the ClearCourse Partnership is a great opportunity for us to build upon our development over the last 20 years. We are excited to be able to offer our clients an enhanced range of products and services.”

Gerry Gualtieri, CEO of ClearCourse, said: “ClearCourse was founded to help achieve operational and commercial synergies between market-leading software and service providers, so that they can offer greater value for their end users. The addition of Decisions to Silverbear will bolster the ecosystem we have built over the last seven months and represents the latest development in the Partnership’s strong growth.”

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FinTech Software and Payments veteran Simon Black joins ClearCourse board

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. ”

Software and Payments Specialist ClearCourse Acquires Marina and Harbour Software Provider Harbour Assist

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.