BrightPay, a provider of payroll and HR software solutions, and Relate Software (Relate), a specialist in post-accounting, practice management and bookkeeping software, have agreed to join forces to create a software company serving payroll and accounting bureaus and SMEs across the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Paul Byrne, co-founder and CEO of BrightPay, and Ray Rogers, co-founder and CEO of Relate, will remain as significant investors in the combined business and will become co-CEOs. Ross Webster and Richie McMahon, also co-founders of BrightPay and Relate respectively, will also remain as investors and will continue to focus on developing the combined business’ best-in-class product suite.
Hg, a leading software and services investor with over two decades’ experience in growing tax & accounting technology businesses across Europe and North America, will become majority investor in the combined business.
The two complementary businesses will bring together their operational strengths and sector-leading products whilst, with the support of Hg, investing further in new cloud innovations to deliver increased automation, efficiency and value for their customers. The combined group will have over 190 employees and has plans to further grow headcount to continue providing best-in-class services and support for its payroll, accounting and SME customers across both the UK and Ireland.
Paul Byrne, founder and CEO of BrightPay, says: “We are delighted to be joining with Ray and his team at Relate. They have a proven track record in a sector we know well and, together, we will aim to be a leading solution for many businesses and accountancy firms. We are also delighted that Hg continues to support us. Their deep sector knowledge has proven invaluable to us and will be instrumental in fuelling the further growth of BrightPay/Relate.”
Ray Rogers, founder and CEO of Relate, says: “Combining products from both businesses will provide a compelling offering for our customers, with the scope and backing for further innovation and development. I’m looking forward to working with Paul and am also excited to welcome Hg, a leading software investor with a track record of supporting growth in Irish software businesses.”
Jonathan Boyes, Hector Guinness and Thomas Martin at Hg, says: “Both BrightPay and Relate are very highly regarded businesses and champions in their field. The two companies bring together core operational strengths whilst also unlocking a high-quality, complementary suite of products to a newly combined customer base. We’re proud to bring together this highly accomplished team. This is a sector and region we know deeply and we are excited for what we’ll all be able to achieve together.”
