Sovereign-backed Actica acquires Gemba Advantage

Sovereign Capital Partners, the leading UK private equity Buy & Build specialist, is pleased to announce that Actica, our specialist provider of technology transformation and cybersecurity services, has acquired Gemba Advantage. Gemba is a software and data engineering business that delivers digital solutions, including for UK public sector bodies with the highest requirements in terms of security and integrity.

Actica will leverage Gemba’s expertise to strengthen its capabilities in designing, building, and maintaining mission-critical systems for government clients. The acquisition aligns with Actica's strategic vision to expand its technology offerings to organisations trusted to protect the UK and its citizens from the most serious threats and adversaries, a key growth area in today’s uncertain world.

Launched in 2020, Gemba has a proven track record of delivering secure, scalable, and sustainable technology solutions for complex operational environments. The company employs more than 70 people, most of whom are application, infrastructure, and data specialists with high-level security clearance. It holds strong strategic positions on several multi-year contracts with public sector departments and agencies, and also serves private sector clients, including BAE Systems, the aerospace, defence, and information security group.

Gemba is Actica’s second acquisition since Sovereign’s investment in 2022, and follows the addition of Ntegra, a digital engineering practice, in August 2024.

Dr Mike Murphy, Group CEO, Actica, said: "We are excited to announce the second acquisition of our Buy & Build journey with Sovereign Capital Partners. In August we added Ntegra to the Actica Group, and now the addition of the high-quality engineering team at Gemba Advantage will further enhance the Group’s offerings in the areas of delivery of highly secure systems covering business apps, development and operations, cloud-based solutions, and data analytics. Gemba will further enable us to offer our clients a wider range of services, complementing our current offerings in the advisory, architecture, cyber and data areas."

Dave Mann, CEO and Co-founder, Gemba Advantage, said: "I am delighted that the acquisition of Gemba Advantage by Actica is now complete. This partnership represents an exciting new chapter for our team and our clients. We were drawn to Actica by their passion in their customers’ mission, exemplary delivery reputation and their people-focused culture, attributes we hold so dear at Gemba. By joining forces, we will be able to combine our strengths with Actica’s to deliver even more value to our customers. The future is bright and we cannot wait to get started!"

Jeremy Morgan, Partner, and Emma Flin, Investment Director, Sovereign Capital Partners, said: "This is an exciting and hugely significant acquisition for Actica and exemplifies our commitment to investing in high-growth companies as part of our Buy & Build strategy. Gemba has an outstanding reputation in the market, with a highly talented and experienced management team. By bringing Gemba’s strengths in software and data engineering into the fold, Actica will not only enhance its service offering but also unlock new avenues for growth, positioning the Group for long-term success."

About Actica

Actica is an independent firm providing business and technical services to the UK public sector and related organisations. We specialise in the design, procurement and delivery of digital services and associated business change activities.

About Gemba Advantage

Gemba Advantage makes high-impact software that is secure, scalable and sustainable. Our experience and expertise allows us to succeed inside and alongside our customers’ exacting operational environments. We make software that makes a difference.