NorthEdge Capital backs Oak Engage for growth acceleration

NorthEdge Capital backs Oak Engage for growth acceleration

Newcastle-based employee engagement and intranet platform, Oak Engage, has announced a significant investment by Manchester-based private equity firm, NorthEdge. This partnership is set to propel Oak Engage towards accelerated growth, increased market penetration, and further technological innovation in the employee engagement sector.

## Key Elements of Oak Engage’s Growth Strategy Post-NorthEdge Investment

1. **Enhancing Platform Capabilities**: Oak Engage plans to utilise the fresh capital to advance its technology platform, with a focus on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver more personalised employee communications. This aim is to improve user experience and engagement across its customer base.

2. **Broadening and Diversifying Client Base**: The company aims to expand its market reach by attracting new clients, particularly medium-sized and enterprise businesses seeking advanced employee engagement and collaboration tools, both in the UK and internationally.

3. **Supporting Revenue Growth and Scaling Operations**: The investment is expected to fuel accelerated revenue growth by enabling Oak Engage to scale its operations. This includes investing in sales and marketing, expanding the team with experienced hires, and leveraging the platform’s existing reputation and customer base to drive further adoption.

4. **Capitalizing on Market Demand**: Oak Engage intends to capitalise on the increasing demand for digital employee engagement tools, a sector experiencing rapid growth as businesses seek to improve workforce communication, collaboration, and company culture.

5. **Strategic Investment in People and Technology**: Part of the strategy involves making critical hires in senior management and technical roles to support the company’s scaling ambitions. Oak Engage will also continue to invest in platform innovation to maintain its competitive edge.

## Summary Table

| Growth Strategy Focus | Description | |---------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Platform Enhancement | Leverage AI for personalized employee engagement | | Client Base Expansion | Target medium and large enterprises (UK & international) | | Revenue & Operational Scaling | Invest in sales, marketing, and team expansion | | Market Opportunity Utilization | Capitalize on rising demand for digital engagement solutions | | People & Technology Investment | Make senior hires and continue platform innovation |

NorthEdge, known for its strong track record of supporting and scaling B2B SaaS businesses based in the UK regions, will support Oak Engage in investing in its commercial team, refining and enhancing its go-to-market strategy, and investing in systems and processes for data-driven decision making.

This investment marks NorthEdge's 19th technology investment and the ninth investment from NorthEdge's Fund III. Oak Engage was advised by ICON Corporate Finance and Weightmans during the investment process. The investment in Oak Engage is seen as a strategic move to capitalise on the growing demand for employee engagement tools.

Jake Armstrong, CFO of Oak Engage, joined the business in 2021 following an expansive career in practice and industry. The platform supports businesses in building a strong culture, enhancing productivity, and boosting operational efficiency. It acts as a central hub to reach and engage deskless workforces, giving them easy access to company news and key documents. Oak Engage uses AI to deliver personalised communications, making it easy to get the right message to the right people at the right time.

Dan Matkin, Director at NorthEdge, has expressed delight about the firm's investment in Oak Engage, stating, "We are thrilled to be partnering with Oak Engage as they embark on the next stage of their journey. Their mobile-first, AI-powered platform is transforming digital employee experiences, and we are excited to support them in their mission to build a leading employee engagement and intranet platform."

1. Oak Engage will utilize the investment from NorthEdge to enhance its technology platform, incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver more personalized employee communications, as reported on ffnews.com.
2. NorthEdge, a prominent private equity firm known for investing in technology businesses, has made its 19th technology investment and the ninth from NorthEdge's Fund III, by investing in Oak Engage, a pioneering employee engagement and intranet platform, according to ffnews.com.

Read also: