Babble makes 'largest acquisition of last 12 months' with Newcastle MSP Activ

PE-based buy and build player acquires managed IT and telephony firm to boost geographic coverage

Buy-and-build unified comms firm Babble has made its largest acquisition of the last 12 months with its buyout of Newcastle-based MSP Activ.

The Microsoft, Mitel and Citrix partner offers managed IT and telephony services to SME-sized business and the education sector.

Filings on Companies House show that Activ's MD Ian Gillespie left the business following the acquisition along with several other directors.

Babble claims the acquisition, which is its second following investment from Graphite Capital at the end of 2020, will expands its national presence.

The deal is the sixth and largest acquisition Babble has made in the last 12 months, it claims.

Ranked #210 in CRN's VAR 350, Babble CEO Matt Parker told CRN in an interview last month that Babble was weeks away from closing another acquisition, while also claiming that the firm could make as many as 10 buyouts this year.

"We are delighted to have completed the purchase of Activ, which marks a fantastic opportunity for us. The people and talent within Activ will allow us to better achieve our ambitions," said Parker.

"This year we expect to complete more acquisitions as we continue to seek innovative businesses that think the same way as us, in order to both grow the capabilities we can provide to our customers and fill our business with the best people in the industry."

Ian Gillespie, MD of Activ, said: "Joining Babble is an exciting step for Activ. They're incredibly ambitious, and will continue to provide the best technology and expertise to our customers across the UK."