Shearwater plots further M&A after sales surge

Cybersecurity provider saw sales rise 41 per cent in last fiscal year

Cybersecurity provider Shearwater is plotting further acquisitions after seeing sales rocket in its last financial year.

Revenue for the 12-month period ending 31 March 2020 climbed 41 per cent year on year to £33m.

Underlying EBITDA swung from a £1.4m lose to a £3.4m profit.

CEO Phil Higgins said: "We have signed a number of significant contract wins, with our ability to grow organically through the cross-selling of services and solutions clearly coming to fruition.

"As a Group we have moved quickly to adjust both operationally and financially to the new external environment driven by COVID-19.

"Whilst its impact on our clients varies markedly by industry we remain focused in delivering our high levels of service and expertise catering to all sectors by helping to provide resilience and ultimately, over the longer term, we expect the pandemic will drive demand for organisational resilience as part of an enhanced focus on digital transformation."

Shearwater said that it raised £3.75m in April, which it will use to make further acquisitions.

Chairman David Williams said the firm will be looking for acquisitions on "the larger scale".

Shearwater has made a number of small takeovers over recent years, but has also made bigger moves for firms like Brookcourt for £30m.