West Monroe buys software engineering firm Verys

West Monroe Partners, a Chicago-headquartered management and technology consultancy, has acquired Verys, a Santa Ana, CA-based digital product engineering firm.

Founded in 2012, Verys’ team of more than 220 engineers, UX designers, DevOps specialists, and project managers specialize in building software for clients in a range of industries. The firm has deep expertise across cloud migration and modernization; user experience; and product strategy, build, and design.

West Monroe’s acquisition of Verys arrives on the heels of the company’s announcement that it will invest $250 million into digital services – with a particular focus on building a global product development platform. The acquisition is the first addition to the platform, which will allow the management consultancy to build and manage digital products for its Fortune 1000 and mid-market clients.

The deal, for which terms were not disclosed, is the largest in the consulting firm's nearly 20-year history.“Verys brings a strong level of talent, extensive experience in building world-class digital products, and a culture that values quality, craftsmanship, and people,” said Tom Bolger, chief strategy officer for West Monroe. “Their understanding of the product lifecycle and agile approach is exactly what our clients need to become more digital organizations.”

Co-founders Chris Antonius and Mike Zerkel will continue to lead Verys as a West Monroe-owned company. The transaction closed on September 22 and integration is expected to complete in the first quarter of 2022. 

The deal brings West Monroe’s headcount to approximately 1,800 people. The firm expects to announce at least one more acquisition by the end of 2021, and for its headcount to reach 2,000.

West Monroe says its revenue have grown 30% year-over-year, and that 2021 revenues are on track to reach $550 million. The firm is targeting $1 billion in revenue by 2025.