First Derivatives and BGF support high-growth tech company AuditComply

A high-growth software company based in Belfast has become the first business to benefit from technology and investment as part of the strategic partnership between First Derivatives and the Business Growth Fund.
Kevin Donaghy, CEO and Susan Fitzsimmons, Chief Operating Officer of Audit Comply at their office in BelfastKevin Donaghy, CEO and Susan Fitzsimmons, Chief Operating Officer of Audit Comply at their office in Belfast
Kevin Donaghy, CEO and Susan Fitzsimmons, Chief Operating Officer of Audit Comply at their office in Belfast

AuditComply will use the new funding from BGF and existing investors Clarendon/CoFundNI together with First Derivatives’ Kx technology to accelerate its growth.

Founded by tech entrepreneur Kevin Donaghy, AuditComply provides enterprise risk management software across the engineering, manufacturing, food and logistics industries.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Its customers include Autoliv, UniTrunk and KDD. The company, which has grown rapidly since it was set up in 2014, operates in a market driven by mounting regulatory pressure related to enterprise risk management.

The firm will employ First Derivatives’ Kx technology and expertise to develop new software modules that will provide powerful, real-time analytics for supply chain auditing.

The First Derivatives and BGF partnership combines access to BGF’s £2.5bn balance sheet and network of board level executives with First Derivatives’ technology and support.

Together, the mix of equity and technology has been designed to help high-potential and established companies scale up through unlocking new markets or disrupting existing ones.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“As a high-tech start-up going through significant growth we are very excited to be working with BGF and First Derivatives to help grow the company and become a leader in enterprise risk management,” said CEO Kevin Donaghy.

“With customers in healthcare, automotive, manufacturing and retail, we need the support of our partners to capitalise in this exciting market.”

In Northern Ireland, BGF has also invested in recycling company RiverRidge, family-owned housebuilder Braidwater and coffee chain Bob & Berts.

Patrick Graham, BGF said: “We’re delighted to be making our fourth investment in Northern Ireland in two years, and our first investment into the growing software sector. AuditComply has experienced impressive growth in a short space of time, and there is a clear opportunity to capitalise on that momentum.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We are also pleased that this is our first investment as part of our strategic partnership with First Derivatives, which extends BGF’s reach into earlier stage businesses. BGF’s network, and our connections to industry experts such as First Derivatives, are helping us to get even more capital to more companies in the UK & Ireland.”

First Derivatives CEO Brian Conlon said: “We are pleased that AuditComply has chosen Kx to support its exciting growth plans and help it scale in a rapidly growing market.

“Kx is a key enabler of disruption across multiple industries and is ideally suited as a platform to manage the most demanding analytics challenges. We are particularly pleased to have worked alongside BGF on this agreement and look forward to building on our strategic partnership through similar deals in the future.”

Related topics: