Inflexion has made a majority investment in Sparta Global, an technology and training services provider. The investment is being made by Inflexion Enterprise Fund V, Inflexion’s lower mid‐market fund. Sparta trains graduates in a range of technology skills and then deploys “Spartans” in relevant roles with its clients, plugging the skills gap between university education and technology and business professionals. Sparta’s graduates come from a diverse range of backgrounds before being trained in one of the firm’s programmes, which cover in demand technology areas such as data engineering, software engineering, DevOps and business analysis.
By ensuring its own intake is diverse, Sparta helps its clients achieve their diversity and inclusion (D&I) objectives, and also provides advice around initiatives to improve D&I. The business benefits from a strong client base of UK corporates and public sector clients, including BUPA, Channel 4, Deloitte, Royal Bank of Scotland and The Home Office.
Inflexion will draw on its deep experience in the technology and training services market to build on Sparta’s impressive growth profile, including its investment in FDM, which saw profits grow five-fold during our partnership before successfully floating on the LSE in 2014. Inflexion are also currently working with Netherlands-based online IT recruitment and training services business Calco, as well as global resourcing specialist K2 Partnering Solutions, both of which are operating in similar markets.
David Rai, CEO of Sparta Global, says: “I’m extremely proud of the continued excellence Sparta Global has delivered to-date. Our unique business model has allowed us to grow quickly and helped to place thousands of students from a variety of backgrounds in full-time employment. We were drawn to Inflexion’s incredibly relevant experience and proven success in the sector and hope to leverage this to expand our business with existing and new clients.”
Simon Turner, Managing Partner, Inflexion, adds: “In Sparta we see in a tremendously ambitious team which has achieved a great deal of success in its industry, one we are very familiar with. We can use our strong experience in their sector to help Sparta achieve not only its growth ambitions but also look for new ways to expand.”
