Written by James Bishop
9 Jan
• Rami Cassis, an international growth investor and founder of Parabellum Investments, has significantly grown his portfolio company, Parseq
• Parseq has acquired the TALL Group, a UK leader in the provision of secure print and payment solutions
• Parseq has also integrated with Column Software Solutions, an India-based IT and business process management firm
• Parseq is one of the largest independent business services and IT providers in the UK, with a headcount of more than 520 staff based in 12 offices across the UK, Bulgaria, and India
• The acquisition and integration are part of Cassis’ strategy to grow his portfolio companies organically and through acquisition
Rami Cassis, an international growth investor and founder of Parabellum Investments, has announced the significant expansion of portfolio company, Parseq, establishing it as one of the largest independent business services and IT providers in the UK.
Parseq has acquired the TALL Group, a UK leader in secure print and payment solutions, and has integrated with Column Software Solutions, an India-based IT and business process management firm. Parseq has now grown its presence to more than 520 staff based in 12 offices across the UK, Bulgaria and India.
Cassis made the deals through his private family office, Parabellum Investments, signalling his commitment to organically scale its existing portfolio this year through add-on acquisitions and new investments entirely, with a particular emphasis on mid-market firms.
TALL Group will transfer across to Parseq in its entirety, including TALL Security Print, Checkprint and DLRT, which combine to form the TALL Group of Companies. The TALL Group’s secure document and payment processing solutions will be incorporated into Parseq’s own established systems, allowing clients to benefit from the operational synergies and economies of scale offered by the integration.
The TALL Group operates from three sites in Runcorn, Hinckley and Lisburn, Northern Ireland, and counts major UK banks and blue-chip companies among its clients. These will be incorporated into Parseq’s existing global client base including leading telecoms operators, major utility providers, and FTSE 100 financial services companies.
Cassis has integrated Column Software Solutions, a Parabellum portfolio company, with Parseq to maximise the operational synergies between the two firms, which have a similar client base and offer complementary services. Parseq has an established office in Chennai, India, meaning the integration of Column Software Solutions’ India operations will lead to a stronger combined presence in the country.
The current Managing Director of Column Software Solutions, Dheeraj Gupta, will lead the India operations for Parseq, and will report into Parseq CEO, Craig Naylor-Smith.
The Column integration supports new data released by the Association for Corporate Growth that reveal its members predict to see more add-on deals in 2023. Cassis intends to rapidly scale his portfolio with add-ons over the coming year, building on his strong track record of working closely with CEOs to position his companies for long-term growth.
The latest deal aligns with Cassis’ plan to diversify the Parabellum portfolio across multiple sectors. In May 2022, he entered the luxury fashion sector with the purchase of Hervia and he will soon formally announce his entry into the coloured gemstone industry. Cassis’ other investments include serialisation specialist Advanco, digital transformation company ieDigital, and risk management solutions firm, Razor Risk.
Rami Cassis, Founder and CEO, Parabellum Investments, said: “We continue to diversify and grow Parabellum’s portfolio, and both the acquisition of the TALL Group and the integration of Column into Parseq are integral parts of that strategy.
“Parseq and Column share similar services, clients, and operations, so they are a natural fit for each other and combining them will help unlock further expansion. The acquisition of the TALL Group by Parseq greatly expands the services it can provide, further strengthening Parseq’s position as one of the UK’s most successful business services and IT providers.”
Parseq is established as one of the UK’s leading business outsourcing providers. It offers a broad range of technology-driven solutions that use enhanced automation to help clients optimise their document, financial and payments processing, improving their operational efficiency and the customer experience. It automates 94 million images, digitises 70 million documents, and processes £36 billion of payments annually.
About Rami Cassis
Rami Cassis is an international investor, operations expert, and founder of Parabellum Investments. Having founded Parabellum Investments, his family office and private equity firm, in 2012, he leads companies ranging from large, multinational corporates to lower mid-market firms. He has led several international complex transactions, always acting as the principal. Although he will sometimes step in as interim CEO, he usually acts as Executive Chairman.
About Parabellum Investments
Parabellum Investments is a family office operating as a global private equity firm, deploying its own capital to acquire companies which can be located anywhere in the world. Under the leadership of founder and CEO, Rami Cassis, Parabellum Investments has a strong track record of growing companies operating within various sectors, including enterprise software, business & IT services, and life sciences.
Further information can be found at www.parabelluminvestments.com
