PORTFOLIO

Formerly known as IP Solutions, the company’s services include hosted telephony (VOIP), unified communications, cloud contact centres, mobile and enterprise connectivity.

In 2017, the management team secured investment from LDC to accelerate their growth strategy through acquisitions and to support organic growth through new product innovations.

Scale through acquisition

During its three-year partnership with LDC, Babble made six acquisitions with £9m of follow-on funding.

A successful buy and build strategy helped the business to expand its product portfolio, extend its geographic footprint across the country and consolidate its position in the UK’s unified communication market, growing revenues by 230%. Babble made two acquisitions in the first year of the partnership with LDC; Birmingham-based Arden Group and Direct Response Plus, completing four further acquisitions since then.

Babble’s success has also been underpinned by organic growth. The launch of its contact centre proposition and performance of its communications offering helped the firm grow fixed revenue. Supported by LDC’s Value Creation Partners, the business also won new contracts across LDC’s portfolio of mid-sized businesses.

Continued support

LDC completed a partial exit in November 2020 in a transaction that values the business at £90million. LDC retains a minority stake in the business to support continued growth.

Shortly after our partial exit, Babble continued its acquisition strategy with the acquisition of Shape Networks, Ultracomms and 81G Blue – all completed within three months.

In 2022, Babble announced the acquisition of Stockport and Ellesmere Port-based IT and telecoms solution provider, Active. The acquisition reinforces Babble’s commitment to the North-West adding additional scale, presence, capability and expertise following the 2021 acquisition of Concert and 2020 acquisition of Lake.

> Read our Q&A With Matt Parker, CEO of Babble