Accenture is to acquire Japanese data science company ALBERT Inc., after completing a tender offer. The acquisition will add a large team of data scientists to Accenture to further strengthen its data and AI capabilities for clients.
The tender offer was launched on September 29 and closed on November 14. The number of ALBERT’s common shares and stock acquisition rights tendered to Accenture significantly exceeds the threshold required for ALBERT to become part of Accenture, equal to two thirds of the ALBERT stock. Upon completion of the transaction, ALBERT will be part of Accenture. Accenture expects to purchase all remaining shares and stock acquisition rights in the coming months, after which ALBERT will be delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
ALBERT offers AI and big data analytics services, AI-based algorithm development, AI implementation consulting, and data science training support, primarily to major corporations in Japan. The company was founded in 2005 and was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2015. Its data science team of 250 permanent employees and contractors will join Accenture’s Applied Intelligence practice, which provides AI and data-led transformation solutions and services.
ALBERT will follow other acquisitions Accenture has made to strengthen its data and AI capabilities for clients globally. These include Analytics8 in Australia; Sentelis in France; Bridgei2i and Byte Prophecy in India; Pragsis Bidoop in Spain; Mudano in the U.K.; and Clarity Insights, End-to-End Analytics and Core Compete in the U.S.
