Academia takes stake in York-based DaaS specialist

Education reseller takes 33 per cent stake in firm to grow device-as-a-service offering

Education reseller Academia has taken a 33 per cent stake in York-based device-as-a-service (DaaS) expert Vital York.

The deal, which values Vital York at over £1m, will see Academia invest in the firm to help it scale its DaaS business, which Academia boss Mike Bacon said is ahead of the market.

"They sell to schools in the York area; they are very focused on that and have been incredibly successful in that market," he explained.

"They have 70 or 80 per cent of the primary schools and 40 per cent of secondary schools.

"They're very efficient and good in their area, but their frustration is that they just haven't got the ability to scale in the timescale they want.

"[DaaS] is cash hungry when you are growing because you are always buying new kit; you don't get the money back [straight away] so it needs cash investment."

Academia first partnered with Vital York a year ago, in a move that helped the Enfield-based firm service partners further north.

Bacon said that finding employees to cater for business further afield has proved challenging.

The Vital York business will continue to operate as a separate entity under its current management.

"There are no cost savings; it is all about one plus one equalling three," he explained. "We use their staff up north because we have struggled to get engineers from here on a cost-effective basis.

"We will probably put schools business through them, and vice versa."

Academia also has an option to purchase Vital York in its entirety in the next four years.