Sophia Nicole Salivio
news editor
Waracle has agreed to acquire Edinburgh-based cloud and data services consultancy Inov8, expanding its presence in data and artificial intelligence.
The deal brings together approximately 300 Waracle employees and Inov8’s 28-person team. This is in line with Waracle’s growth strategy as it seeks to increase its share of revenue from data and AI operations.
Headquartered in Edinburgh, Inov8 was founded in 2011 by Brian Graham. The business focuses on cloud services, data services and artificial intelligence, and Waracle develops digital products for customers in sectors such as financial services, energy, health and the public sector.
This transaction marks another step in Waracle’s recent expansion. The company previously acquired HackSoft, a software engineering business based in Sofia, Bulgaria, and increased headcount across its London, Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh and Sofia offices.
Waracle also made senior hires in its data and AI operations division, appointing David Rowe as chief AI officer and James Poulten as head of data and AI last year.
Backed by growth investor BGF, the business announced a more than 30% increase in sales in 2025, with pre-tax profits of nearly £2m.
growth plan
Waracle plans to increase its workforce from around 300 to 500 people across the UK and Bulgaria by 2028. The acquisition of Inov8 gives us greater foothold in cloud, data management, and AI consulting as demand for these services increases across regulated, data-intensive industries.
For Inov8, the deal brings together a professional consultancy and a large digital products business serving organizations in financial services, health, energy and government affairs. Waracle’s customer roster includes People’s Partnership, Roche, SP Energy Networks and Royal London.
David Tuck, Chief Executive Officer of Waracle, said: “We are very excited to bring Inov8 to Waracle. We worked hard to find a data and AI consultancy that not only matched our ambitions, but also our values and culture.”
He added: “Since early 2025, as part of our strategic initiatives, we have been focused on growing our data and AI practices. We have made significant progress in the last 18 months. The talent within Inov8 will help us further drive our ambitions in both areas.”
Founder’s view
Inov8 founder Brian Graham said he believed the business had scope to grow through consolidation. “Joining Waracle is a great opportunity for Inov8 to demonstrate our deep skills in data and AI through Waracle’s scale and reach across financial services, energy and the public sector. We have always strived to provide innovative solutions to our customers’ problems and build genuine collaborative relationships.”
He added: “We have spent a lot of time with David and the rest of Warakul’s leadership team and have gotten to know them and the business very well. We know that joining forces at this time is a great opportunity to be part of Warakul’s continued growth.”
The deal reflects continued consolidation between UK technology consultancies, with each firm seeking to add expertise in cloud, data and AI, while increasing access to customers in sectors under pressure to modernize digital systems. For Waracle, the addition of Inov8 strengthens a business that has grown through both acquisitions and organic growth, with data and AI taking a more central role in its strategy.
