Benchmark International is delighted to announce the acquisition of Speak First by LTD Group, trading as Lepaya.

Speak First is a global consulting, leadership and communication training specialist, working with large organisations to develop strategies enabling long-term sustainable business growth, while simultaneously enhancing individual staff development.

Founded by René Janssen and Peter Kuperus in 2018, Lepaya is a rapidly growing Amsterdam-based company with a global reach. By combining hard skills with soft skills, offered together as ‘Power Skills’, the company has made itself a strong challenger in the growing European edtech market, in which the demand for reskilling and upskilling continues to increase.

The acquisition of Speak First showcases immense scalability and allows Lepaya to further intensify its investments into both cutting-edge companies and technologies, such as VR and AI-coaching, to further consolidate the learning and development industry.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the acquisition of County Cork-based Velopi by Boston-based Educate 360.

Established in 2007 and headquartered in Kinsale, Ireland, Velopi provides training and consultancy services, specialising in the niche of project management. The firm has a list of renowned clients that includes Abbott and Pfizer.

Educate 360 is a professional training partner that designs training, coaching, and consulting solutions to improve efficiency, increase cross-functional alignment, and drive results. The acquisition enables Educate 360 to have a greater reach into the European market and the ability to build upon Velopi’s existing clientele.

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the transaction between East Kilbride-based Sixth Sense and Watford-based MCG.

Established in 2009, Sixth Sense is a national training provider of IT and digital apprenticeships, providing SVQ accredited courses to 140 learners through a direct contract with Skills Development Scotland.

MCG is a recruitment, consultancy and project-based solutions company within aerospace & aviation, construction, education, healthcare, and technology. The company works with, supplies and employs people both in the UK and internationally.

The acquisition is the third by MCG in 12 months, as part of a five-year growth strategy.

Grant Henderson, COO of MCG, said: “The acquisition of Sixth Sense fulfils both a business and personal ambition in increasing our training capability for our internal staff, as well as externally to our valued customers.”

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the acquisition of Manchester-based Development Processes Group (DPG) by Glasgow-based ICS Learn, backed by Primary Capital.

DPG was established in 1991 and is a training and development provider specialising in CIPD qualifications to both B2C and B2B clients via online courses, traditional classroom workshops and blended online content.

Founded in 1889, ICS Learn has been a pioneer in distance learning for more than 130 years. It is an online learning provider with over 25,000 current students, offering award-winning courses with unlimited tutor support and operating over 100 countries.

Both companies will combine their collective knowledge and talent with the aim of delivering an unrivalled experience for students starting or advancing their career in HR.

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the transaction between training and development provider, Apex and Rockpool Investments-backed Interact Training Group.

Established in 1993, Apex is a multi-award-winning training technology business, providing learning solutions that specialise in service, sales, account management, negotiation, management, coaching, and leadership. The business has offices in Falkirk, Plymouth, London and Dubai.

Interact Training Group is a family owned business that was founded in 1994 to help organisations identify performance improvements and create interventions to drive those improvements. Rockpool invested in Interact Training Group through a management buy-in in March 2018 and has looked to drive both organic and acquisitive growth for the business.

The acquisition will allow Interact Training Group to continue its plans to build a UK-based technology training group.