California-based digital transformation solutions company UST is bolstering its existing Australian presence after acquiring Brisbane-founded, Melbourne-headquartered consultancy and tech company Leonardo for an undisclosed sum.
Founded by Chris Nagel in a small house in Brisbane's southern suburbs before the turn of the Millennium, over more than two decades Leonardo has grown its team to more than 70 people offering a wide range of services including business improvement, business design, automation, integration and platform engineering.
With its head office now in Melbourne as well as offices in Sydney, Perth, New Zealand, Singapore and the Middle East, Leonardo is a partner of software leaders such as Red Hat, Microsoft, UiPath, Automation Anywhere and SoftwareAG.
Leonardo also partners with open-source process mining technology developer Apromore, and participated in a $6.84 million Series A funding round in 2020 led by German business process management specialist GBTEC, with participation as well from the University of Melbourne.
Having been in the Australian market for eight years, UST claims the acquisition will strengthen its capability of delivering comprehensive digital solutions at scale throughout the ANZ region.
"We are delighted to announce the integration of Leonardo into UST’s Australian team," says UST managing director of Australia, Kumaran CR.
"For over 25 years, Leonardo has been a reliable partner to its clients in the ANZ community, especially in the process transformation area. Their deep-rooted understanding and experience in these areas is invaluable.
"For UST, improving organisational efficiencies and thereby uplifting productivity for our clients is a key pillar within our transformation agenda. I am excited that Leonardo will lead this offering and enable us to support our clients in their growth agenda."
Kumaran adds that Leonardo will strengthen the group's global intelligent automation consulting capabilities further, and help grow its SmartOps platform business in the ANZ region.
"The acquisition is an important step in our efforts to continue growth in the Australian market as we work to meet rapidly emerging demand and build upon UST’s position as a market leader," he says.
Leonardo chief executive officer Stephen Chetcuti says the company is thrilled to join forces with UST, representing a significant milestone for the Australian company.
"Our partnership with UST opens a realm of new possibilities. We are excited about the expanded digital services we can offer our clients," says Chetcuti.
"This collaboration signifies our commitment to growing alongside our customers, providing them with unparalleled digital solutions, and harnessing the power of AI to unlock new levels of productivity and insight into their business."
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