Headcount at Boxever to more than double following acquisition

Sitecore is to more than double headcount at Boxever, the Irish data analytics company it acquired in a multimillion euro deal earlier this month.

The move comes as Boxever co-founder and chief executive Dave O’Flanagan was this week appointed chief product officer at Sitecore at a time when the company is rapidly expanding.

Founded in in 2001 and acquired by private equity firm EQT in a $1.14 billion deal in 2016, Sitecore recently announced a $1.2 billion investment in the business to accelerate growth.

Chief executive Steve Tzikakis said Mr O'Flanagan's appointment was significant as the company intends to make Boxever the cornerstone of Sitecore.

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“It is the new heart of what we intend to build,” Mr Tzikakis said of Boxever.

He said that having decided to invest growing Sitecore, the company went searching for the best technology it could find, with Boxever’s platform fitting the bill.

“It did not matter that Boxever isn’t a huge company because we’ve seen the clients they have, which include banks and airlines, most of which are operating at a global scale so we knew the product could work at that kind of level,” Mr Tzikakis added.

Travel sector

Founded by Mr O'Flanagan, Alan Giles and Dermot O'Connor in late 2011, Boxever's technology uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help brands engage more effectively with customers by providing a more personalised experience. The company employs about 70 people between Dublin and Madrid.

Boxever's platform is predominantly used by airlines that include Ryanair, Aer Lingus and Emirates. However, in recent years, the company has sought to expand beyond the travel sector, scoring its first banking customer in April 2019 with a deal with AIB.

San Francisco-headquartered Sitecore is a customer experience software developer that works with more than a third of the Fortune 100 and close to half of the S&P Global 100 and Dow Jones Global Titans. It also supports three of the top 10 retailers in the world, 16 of the 18 largest financial brands, half of the largest healthcare groups, and six of the 10 largest car manufacturers.

The company has recorded record revenues over the past three quarters, with the pandemic seeing more organisations rush online. Its clients include American Express, Asos, Kimberly-Clark, L'Oréal and Volvo Cars.

Mr Tzikakis said Boxever would be fully integrated into Sitecore, meaning that the brand will eventually disappear. He said its technology would live on with its workforce expanding significantly.

“We intend to at least double the workforce in Dublin with the possibility of even more roles as we continue to grow,” he said.