‘Scaling on steroids’ as cofinitive acquired by Cambridge Management Consulting
One of Cambridge’s leading PR and marketing agencies, cofinitive, is preparing to “scale at pace” after being acquired by London-based global consultancy Cambridge Management Consulting.
The announcement of the acquisition of one of the hub’s foremost home-grown agencies was announced at a 10th anniversary party at The Bradfield Centre last week.
Describing the event as “a huge success”, cofinitive founder and director Faye Holland noted there were “more than 200 people representing the largest tech and innovation businesses, through to the newest start-ups” at the Bradfield on Thursday (28 November).
The Cambridge Management Consulting deal, she said, “allows us to continue delivering our award-winning services while gaining the resources, capacity and expanded portfolio needed to craft an even greater level of service – one that will empower our clients to grow and thrive on a truly global scale”.
Faye added: “We can genuinely say that our clients are the true winners – they achieve more because the stories we build resonate. As a result, they naturally benefit from greater recognition, stronger investments, more clients and countless other opportunities.
“We are respected for delivering holistic marketing; joining the dots between strategy, planning and tactical execution, and over the decade we have won numerous awards and accolades for the work that we do.
“We have also raised the awareness of 1,736 founders and their innovations through six years of the #21toWatch programme. We are proud of the success of the programme, where participants have consistently outperformed their peers. The 126 winners alone, not including CMR Surgical, have raised just shy of £600m since appearing on the list. #21toWatch has earned us a very special reputation for being able to identify and showcase the cream of our region’s innovation.
“We have built sustained long-term relationships across the ecosystem, and we have become part of that ecosystem. This has also earned us as a company, and me individually, the position of being a trusted connector providing significant value-add to our clients and partners.”
So why has cofinitive become part of the Cambridge Management Consulting group?
Faye, who has known Tim Passingham, chair of Cambridge Management Consulting, for five years, replies: “The simple answer is scale!
“We have thrived as a micro-business but anyone who runs a small business knows that the challenges are often around expansion and recruiting the right people. The acquisition provides us access to an established team of marketeers, the admin side of the business is brought into a larger company giving us more time to make an impact, and we also have access to a larger portfolio with Cambridge Management Consulting’s client base on a global basis.
“This is quite simply scaling on steroids. It was also really important to me that we evolved and pushed ourselves, not stay with the status quo. It’s a busy space out there and we need to continue to differentiate ourselves to stay competitive, deliver even more value to our clients, and scale effectively.”
Mr Passingham said: “I’ve followed Faye and cofinitive for many years and, like others, I’ve been impressed by their reach and impact. I am delighted to welcome Faye and the entire cofinitive team to the Cambridge Management Consulting portfolio. Their expertise in strategic marketing, PR, and branding will enhance the services we offer to our global clients. Additionally, they will have access to our broader capabilities as we continue to expand in Cambridge and beyond.”
As part of the acquisition, the entire team will move into Cambridge Management Consulting and Faye will lead all client marketing projects, head the Cambridge office, and join the leadership team.
The company will continue to operate under the cofinitive name, with the new structure taking effect on January 1, 2025.
David Cleevely, entrepreneur and chairman of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, concluded: “cofinitive stands as a testament to connections, creativity and a relentless commitment to excellence.
“Here’s to the past 10 years of building connections, creating opportunities and achieving extraordinary things, and here’s to the next 10 years of curiosity, generosity and of course, serendipity.”
