Sponge acquired by Aliter Capital

Award-winning custom digital learning company, Sponge, has been acquired by Aliter Capital to form part of the private equity firm’s corporate training group. The company will play a strategic role in supporting Aliter’s goal to establish a major new force in the learning technology market.

Aliter’s investment in Sponge follows its acquisition of Glasgow-based Bolt Learning, provider of eLearning solutions and content, a sophisticated Learning Management System (LMS) and a range of advanced content development tools, in June this year. Under Aliter’s wing, the powerful partnership enables Sponge to strengthen and extend its digital learning portfolio to better serve its existing clients – some of the world’s largest brands. 

Named Learning Provider of the Year at 2019 LPI Learning Awards and silver winner of the Company of the Year at the 2018 Learning Technologies Awards, Sponge will continue to focus on delivering outstanding client service and innovative learning solutions. The company’s existing management team will remain in place – it’s business as usual – under Aliter’s guidance.

"We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far, and this new chapter represents an exciting opportunity for us, our people and our clients."

Louise Pasterfield, Founder and Managing Director, explained, “With Aliter’s backing, we have an even stronger organisation with greater expertise. From the outset, we have been very impressed with Aliter’s strategy and vision for a global learning group. And Bolt’s learning platform means we can offer a more extensive learning solution portfolio to our existing clients and prospects.

"The management team is extremely excited about the opportunities this venture will bring and the additional value-add we’ll be able to deliver. Since 2004, we’ve been on an extraordinary journey; we’re now a leading provider of bespoke digital learning. Along the way, we’ve pushed the boundaries with innovation and creativity. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far, and this new chapter represents an exciting opportunity for us, our people and our clients. We foresee the group expanding rapidly under Aliter’s guidance.”

“Bringing Sponge and Bolt together creates a major new player in the digital learning market which combines powerful learning technologies with creative content development."

Billy Allan, Managing Partner of Aliter, said, “Bringing Sponge and Bolt together creates a major new player in the digital learning market which combines powerful learning technologies with creative content development. Our strategy is to build on this foundation to create a broad-based blended learning group underpinned by market-leading learning technologies.”

Tamlin Roberts, Bolt Learning CEO, said, “It has been a pleasure in getting acquainted with the senior team at Sponge. We have a complementary range of technologies and capabilities which will enhance the value we can provide to our customers and underpin the next phase of growth.”

"We have a complementary range of technologies and capabilities which will enhance the value we can provide to our customers and underpin the next phase of growth.”

Picture from left to right: Louise Pasterfield, Founder and MD of Sponge, Matt Whale, Sponge's Chief Operations Officer and Chief Finance Officer, Tamlin Roberts, CEO of Bolt Learning, and Kate Pasterfield, Chief Innovation Officer at Sponge