Why Accenture Is Buying Mudano

By Amit Chowdhry • Feb 3, 2020
  • Accenture announced it is buying Mudano — which is a strategic data consultancy to U.K. financial services firms. These are the details about the deal.

Today Accenture announced it is buying Mudano — which is a strategic data consultancy to U.K. financial services firms. This deal will help Accenture further enhance its analytics, data, and artificial intelligence (AI) transformation capabilities. The terms of the deal were undisclosed.

Mudano’s team features industry-focused data professionals who are joining the Accenture Applied Intelligence unit. This unit employs over 20,000 professionals worldwide who help clients scale artificial intelligence, including 6,000 data scientists, data engineers, and AI professionals. And Mudano’s data advisory expertise and technology solutions are going to complement Accenture’s existing capabilities and will strengthen the firm’s commitment to helping clients generate measurable value and return on investment from large-scale transformation projects.

Launched in 2014, Mudano uses advanced analytics, applied data science, and modern data technologies for helping the U.K.’s largest banks, insurers, and wealth management firms transform key areas like customer behavior analytics, financial crime-prevention, and intelligent data management.

“Our research shows that U.K. businesses are struggling with how to scale technologies like artificial intelligence to deliver business value – and financial services is no exception,” said George Marcotte, a managing director at Accenture who leads its Applied Intelligence group in the U.K. & Ireland. “Mudano’s focus on helping clients build a ‘data culture’ aligns perfectly to Accenture’s Applied Intelligence strategy. By creating a strong data foundation – supported by the right skills, stakeholders and technologies – our clients can transform at speed and scale and fuel real change for their business.”

The Accenture Applied Intelligence team has received a number of recognitions from leading industry analyst firms last year, including being named a worldwide leader in AI vendor services by IDC. And in the last few months, Accenture Applied Intelligence acquired Clarity Insights, Pragsis Bidoop, and Analytics8 — which further enhanced its ability to meet growing client demand in the U.S., Spain, and Australia, respectively.

“Accenture’s reputation for excellence and large-scale delivery will enable us to help clients realize the benefits of data transformation – from setting the strategy and building the culture to leveraging the game-changing insights that data analytics can bring. We are excited to become part of one of the world’s leading companies and look forward to the opportunities this will bring for our employees and clients,” explained Mudano CEO Ed Broussard.

In the company’s 2019 fiscal year, Accenture invested nearly $1.2 billion on 33 acquisitions globally. The completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions.

“Our acquisition momentum in Applied Intelligence over the past six months enables us to deliver AI at scale to clients around the world across a range of industries,” stated Athina Kanioura, chief analytics officer and global lead, Accenture Applied Intelligence. “By bringing new talent and capabilities into our business, we complement our ongoing organic growth strategy and increase our speed to market.”