Redditch-based Optima Health sold for £130M services and software company Marlowe

Marlowe, a leader in business-critical services and software is buying Redditch-based Optima Health Group Limited for £135 million.

Optima is a leading provider of technology-enabled occupational health services in the UK, and will help Marlowe's strategy to become the leader in the occupational health sector. 

Alex Dacre, Chief Executive of Marlowe plc, said: "The acquisition of Optima significantly strengthens our Governance, Risk and Compliance division and builds further confidence in the delivery of our FY 2024 strategy, which is materially ahead of schedule. Optima provides technology-enabled occupational health services, assuring the health and wellbeing of employees and aligning companies to regulatory requirements. The combination of Optima with our existing GRC businesses is highly complementary and will enable us to offer customers a broader range of services whilst delivering synergies. The proposed fundraising, alongside an intended refinancing of our existing bank facilities, will enable us to deliver on our strategy at pace with significant capacity for further acquisition-led growth."

Headquartered in Redditch, UK with operational hubs in Glasgow, Sheffield, London and Taunton, Optima is the UK's leading provider of technology enabled corporate health and wellbeing solutions. It aims to empower organisations to bring out the best in their people by actively managing their health and wellbeing, and it supports workplace wellbeing with digitally connected health solutions. Optima leverages its proprietary technology and flexible delivery model to foster healthy high performance, underpinned by a robust clinical governance framework. Optima has c. 1000 employees, of which c. 600 are clinical professionals.

Optima is part of a £1 billion UK Occupational Health market, which is growing at 4-5 per cent per annum. Increasing corporate and societal focus on employee health and wellbeing is driving the structural growth in this market, as are trends towards outsourcing and digitalisation.