Press Announcement: The gold standard in jewellery retail

August 2, 2022

London | 02 August 2022 – ClearCourse, a leading group of innovative technology brands providing software solutions and an integrated payments platform, today announces a deal to acquire Pursuit Software, an established provider of jewellery management and point-of-sale (POS) software. The acquisition sees the Company join ClearCourse’s Retail division.

Founded in 2008 and based in Norwich, Pursuit Software provides bespoke software solutions for high-end, multi-store jewellery businesses, including London-based Fraser Hart and Edinburgh’s Hamilton & Inches. The company’s services include stock management platforms, POS integration, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and repairs and manufacturing functions — all of which help jewellery brands efficiently manage their stock and customer transactions. In addition, Pursuit Software offers a payment function, a click-and-collect service and website development and integration. Its software connects to existing instore and online sales systems, creating interoperable stock management across platforms that are tailored to customers all over the UK and Ireland.

This is the first jewellery software business that ClearCourse has acquired, broadening the range of sectors served by the group’s Retail division and taking its overall customer base to over 20,000. Pursuit Software also becomes ClearCourse’s most easterly business within East Anglia, presenting new opportunities to tap into an active local economy and a strong pool of entrepreneurial talent – both of which have benefitted from substantial regional investment that has nearly doubled in recent years.

Following the acquisition, Pursuit Software will harness ClearCourse’s significant investment to transition into its next growth stage, offering up its back- and front-office solutions to bigger businesses. New and existing customers will benefit from the company’s integration with ClearCourse’s spectrum of software businesses and proprietary payments platform, ClearAccept, which is designed to allow individual businesses to tailor their users’ payment experience while easing the burden of security and compliance.

The company’s Managing Director, Mike Burns, will continue to lead Pursuit Software on a full-time basis.

Gerry Gualtieri, CEO of ClearCourse, said: “We are very pleased that Pursuit Software will be joining ClearCourse at what continues to be a challenging and crucial time for the UK high street and its independent brands. As we welcome another great team and thriving customer base, we look forward to an expansion with two exciting elements: investing further in the vibrant East of England, an area with serious potential, and the opportunity to penetrate the jewellery management software sector: an industry with a projected value of £3.3bn this year and clear synergies across point-of-sale and payments software.”

Mike Burns, Managing Director of Pursuit Software, said: “The majority of today’s retail sectors benefit from the support of big, industry-specific software businesses and the fit-for-purpose solutions that these companies develop. Yet in the jewellery space – a powerful sector that handles large transactions and creates meaningful customer relationships – technological investment is critically lacking. Working with ClearCourse, our team looks forward to building out a new league of specialised providers in the retail software mid-market, with ambitions to grow as a company that top-tier businesses can trust.”

The financial terms of the deal are undisclosed.

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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.