RWS Holdings plc has agreed a £22.4 million deal to acquire a French rival.
RWS is a London-listed AI content localisation services firm headquartered in Berkshire which turned over almost £700 million last year.
It said this morning it will acquire Acogroup, the parent company of Acolad, a global provider of language and content solutions headquartered in the Paris region.
The deal brings RWS longstanding relationships with enterprise clients, with particular strength in Western Europe.
It also brings a significant presence in regulated and public institution end markets, including an established medical devices business that complements RWS’s strength in the pharmaceutical segment of life sciences. Approximately half of Acolad’s revenues are derived from regulated industries.
Founded in 1995, Acolad operates across 22 countries in Europe and North America and employs approximately 1,200 people. In the year to 31st December 2025, Acolad generated revenues of £182m and adjusted EBITDA was £13m.
Completion is expected in H1 FY27 at the latest – and is conditional on obtaining regulatory clearances from the French Ministry for the Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty.
The total consideration payable by RWS is £40.2m, which includes payment for approximately £17.8m of cash at completion (money on Acolad’s balance sheet which RWS will then own). The enterprise value of the deal is therefore £22.4m.
Benjamin Faes (pictured), CEO of RWS, commented: “This is a compelling acquisition that enhances our growth strategy as we deploy our AI content solutions. It significantly expands our enterprise client base, especially in Europe, to which we can bring RWS’s current and next-generation language technology platforms.
“Acolad is a strong fit for our existing value creation model. We are already applying AI at scale to expert-led services across our own operations. The combination also gives us greater scale to invest in new products for our clients.
“We already know Acolad well and its established presence and reputation in regulated markets, including medical devices, complements our life sciences franchise and broadens our exposure to attractive, resilient sectors.
“The transaction also brings interpreting capability. I look forward to welcoming Acolad’s talented team to RWS and to a smooth and effective integration.”