Tactus Group, a specialist in the development of consumer technology products, invested in pi-top, a London, UK-based expert in coding and robotics that focuses on improving digital skills in the education sector.
The amount of the deal was not disclosed.
The investment will strengthen Tactus Group’s capabilities in coding and robotics, and bolster its offering in the education sector. The deal will also enable pi-top to tap into Tactus’ supply chain expertise, providing access to markets including China and the UK.
Founded in 2014 and led by Stanley Buchesky, CEO and Chairman, pi-top is an ed-tech company which aims to increase access to coding and technical education through its project-based learning software platform and its Raspberry Pi-based hardware. The company has already nearly doubled its paying accounts in the first half of 2021 and has shipped over 100,000 computing devices and 150,000 accessories worldwide.
With 41 employees, pi-top is headquartered in London, UK with offices in Austin, Texas and Shenzhen, China. The firm’s products enable schools and learners at home to blend physical computing with traditional computer science and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and maths) education.
Led by Scott Brenchley, CEO, Tactus Group is a consumer technology business, specialising in gaming, education and entry-level computing. It provides multi-branded IT hardware to global retailers and the public sector, developing a strong reputation and trading relationships with corporate technology businesses such as Microsoft and Intel. The company’s product portfolio includes IT hardware, smart home technology and wearable tech apparel, which it sells through partnerships with online and high street retailers worldwide.
Tactus employs 115 staff and is on track to hit revenues of £175m in FY22.
This investment follows the company’s £10m backing from private equity firm Arete Capital Partners earlier this year, and it used this funding to finalise the subsequent acquisition of gaming specialist CCL Computers in April 2021.
FinSMEs
05/06/2021