‘We’re well on our journey towards €1bn’: Version 1 CEO
Roop Singh talks double-digit momentum, acquisition strategy and US expansion
Version 1 is pushing ahead with its ambition to become a €1bn business, with CEO Roop Singh expecting further M&A to play a role as the IT services provider continues to build out its data and AI capabilities.
The company set out the three-year revenue target following Singh’s appointment as CEO in June 2025, when Version 1 was generating around €380m.
14 months into the plan, Singh tells CRN that the business is now approaching €550m (£472.4m) following its acquisition of Edinburgh-based digital consultancy CreateFuture in April.
“We’re well on our journey towards €1bn,” Singh says.
“Given the market, I am very confident that this year we will show very strong double-digit growth in the market. We know that our approach to the market is working.”
The CEO says the Dublin-based firm has deliberately concentrated that strategy around its core markets of the UK, Ireland and US, rather than pursuing expansion into continental Europe, APAC or the Middle East.
“We decided very clearly that we will build on the core markets and continue to engage our customers and grow our client base, as well as to ensure that whichever new business we do, we do in our core markets,” Singh says.
“We’ve seen continuous double-digit growth from that perspective.”
Version 1's UK arm ranks number 39 on CRN's Top VARs list.
Version 1's four ingredients for M&A
Business purchases will continue to form part of that journey, with Singh setting out four characteristics for assessing potential targets.
The first is a presence in one of its core markets, followed by technology capabilities that complement the existing business and exposure to attractive industry segments.
The fourth is more straightforward: “sound financials”.
Version 1’s buyout of CreateFuture added around 550 employees, predominantly in Scotland, alongside software engineering and AI expertise.
CreateFuture’s position in the gaming sector was another attraction, with Version 1 believing capabilities developed in the industry can be applied to other areas such as financial services.
“We will continue to look at our technology requirements, and we’ll continue to add companies that really, really bolster that,” Singh tells CRN.
“We will continue to look at M&A opportunities around data and AI to complement what we already have.”
What’s next for CreateFuture?
CreateFuture will retain a degree of independence within Version 1 as the two businesses are gradually brought together.
Singh says keeping the purchased company’s management team was a critical part of the transaction due to its expertise in the gaming sector.
The CEO expects its leadership to continue with the company for at least the next three years as Singh wants CreateFuture to operate as a distinct business unit.
“I would love to run it as a separate business unit, not as a separate company, but a separate business unit within Version 1,” he explains.
“At some point, in the next 36 months, [we will] bring that into Version 1 itself.”
Balance between public and private sector growth
Version 1’s public sector operations continue to account for around 60 per cent of its business, with Singh saying the segment is currently growing faster than its commercial operations.
The company works across departments spanning education, defence, utilities, finance and healthcare.
Version 1 is also reporting double-digit momentum across financial services and its commercial business, including healthcare and manufacturing.
Singh wants that expansion to eventually create a more even split between the two sides of the company.
The CEO also wants Version 1 to establish leading positions in specific markets rather than attempt to dominate every sector it operates in.
Alongside maintaining its public sector footprint, the firm aims to become the “number one company” in iGaming and establishing greater scale across financial services and commercial markets.
The US is another area earmarked for further investment.
Singh says Version 1 continues to record double-digit growth in the country, with financial services and enterprise applications among its focus areas.
CreateFuture has also brought a significant US gaming presence into the group.
“We continue to grow double-digit in the US and we will continue to invest in the US,” notes Singh.
Leadership changes, stability and job creation
Momentum has been accompanied by changes at the top of Version 1.
Sarita Sudera was named CCO in April following Singh’s transition to CEO.
David Churchill joined as chief people officer in October while Olivia Carroll was promoted to group operations director.
Singh says he does not anticipate further significant changes to the exec team.
“Stability is required in our business as we move forward," he explains.
In March, the business also announced plans to create 250 new roles across its operations, with a further 400 jobs set to be added in Northern Ireland following discussions with Invest NI.