Evoke Creative acquires Apposing to bring ‘in-store and in-pocket’ offering under one roof
3rd August 2021: Evoke Creative Ltd – the leading specialist in kiosk, digital signage and interactive solutions for the retail, hospitality and public sectors – has acquired Liverpool-based app design and development agency, Apposing Ltd, as part of their wider expansion strategy.
Under the agreement, Apposing will continue to operate as an individual brand from its city centre creative studio, while strengthening Evoke’s solution offering, adding in-house mobile app and additional user interface development resource to its suite of solutions.
The move will enable the Wirral-based company to ‘close the loop’ on its compelling offering to its customers, with mobile acting as the final piece in its full-service, omni-channel offering. Adding this capability perfectly complements the existing expertise, which includes the design, development and manufacture of self-service order and check out kiosks, LED video walls, digital signage, and interactive software solutions.
Neil Clark CEO and Dean Ward CTO, co-founders at Evoke, which is backed by BGF, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Apposing to the Evoke Group. When shortlisting candidates for acquisition, Apposing stood out clearly as leaders and innovators in their thinking, creativity and technical ability. We can’t wait to begin a progressive program of incorporating their skillset into our overall offering to help our clients engage with their customers more than ever before. As more and more businesses look towards omni-channel retail as a means of gaining traction in a highly competitive marketplace, we believe that we have a unique opportunity to blend the ‘in-store’ and ‘in-pocket’ experiences to help create a seamless customer journey and enhance the way in which consumers interact with the brands they love – whether that’s in store or online.”
Apposing was launched 10 years ago by Managing Director, Dave Brown, and has since become a leading app design and development company, working alongside the likes of Footasylum, Nando’s, McDonald’s and Liverpool FC.
Dave said: “This is a really exciting development in the Apposing growth journey, providing us with the ability to scale our activities and work with an expanding list of new clients. There are a number of strong synergies between the two teams, and we’re looking forward to the prospect of working together.”
Rhys Davenport, a BGF investor and board member at Evoke, added: “Working across arguably the hardest hit sectors in the last 12 months, Evoke has had to be extremely future-focused, in terms of identifying the skills and technology required in both the retail and hospitality sectors – both of which are rapidly evolving. The strategic acquisition of Apposing is testament to that drive and ambition and enables Neil, Dean and their team to perfectly position themselves for further expansion in key markets.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Evoke Creative
Evoke Creative – which received investment from BGF in 2018 – supplies complete interactive digital solutions, including self-service kiosks, video walls, digital signage, interactive displays and payment terminals to organisations such as JD Sports, Travelodge, McDonald’s, Google and many more.
About BGF
BGF was set up in 2011 and has invested £2.5bn in nearly 400 companies, making it the most active investor in the UK. BGF is a minority, non-controlling equity partner with a patient outlook on investments, based on shared long-term goals with the management teams it backs. BGF invests in growing businesses in the UK and Ireland through its network of 16 offices. In 2018, Canada launched its equivalent – the Canadian Business Growth Fund – and in 2019, Australia did the same, both based on BGF’s funding model.
