IRIS Software Group Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors

IRIS Software Group was acquired by Leonard Green & Partners and Hg for $4B in December 2023.

IRIS Software Group acquisition price

$4B

Acquired by Leonard Green & Partners, Hg · Dec 2023

IRIS Software Group revenue

$452M

Undisclosed stage · May 2018

Cumulative funding IRIS Software Group raised

$50M

across 1 funding round

Key investors in IRIS Software Group

IRIS Software Group Overview

About IRIS Software Group

IRIS Software Group is the United Kingdom's largest private software provider of payroll, HR, and accounts solutions serving 60,000 businesses from startups to FTSE 100 firms. Portsmouth-headquartered since 1978, it processes 10 million payslips monthly via cloud platforms like IRIS iXBRL. Acquired by Francisco Partners in 2021, it operates across 12 European countries with 2,500 employees.


Founded

1978

HQ

United KingdomWindsor

Website

iris.co.uk

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Subscription

Revenue

$452M (May 2018)

Valuation

$1.6B (May 2018)

IRIS Software Group Acquisition

IRIS Software Group was acquired by Leonard Green & Partners and Hg for $4B on 23 December 2023.

Before the acquisition IRIS Software Group had raised $50M across 1 funding round.

Leonard Green & Partners took a co-controlling stake in IRIS Software Group alongside Hg, which reinvested in the business after a twenty-year relationship, in a transaction valuing IRIS at an enterprise value of around GBP 3.15 billion. ICG remained a minority investor through a new investment. The deal was one of Europe's largest software buyouts of 2023 and was aimed at scaling IRIS in North America.

IRIS Software Group acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePrice
  • Leonard Green & Partners
  • Hg
23 Dec 2023PE buyout$4B

Sources: hgcapital.com

IRIS Software Group Valuation

IRIS Software Group is currently valued at $1.6B, based on its undisclosed-stage round in May 2018.

The $50M round was led by HgCapital and Intermediate Capital Group.

IRIS Software Group valuation by funding round

IRIS Software Group valuation by funding round
DateStageValuationRevenue Multiple
May 2018Undisclosed stage$1.6B3.5x

IRIS Software Group Revenue

IRIS Software Group's latest recorded revenue is $452M, as of its undisclosed-stage round in May 2018. At a $1.6B valuation, that implies a 3.5x revenue multiple.

IRIS Software Group revenue by funding round

IRIS Software Group revenue and valuation multiple by funding round
DateRevenue *ValuationRevenue MultipleStage
May 2018$452M$1.6B3.5xUndisclosed stage

* Revenue (or ARR) figures are the values recorded alongside each funding round. Typically run-rate revenue at the time of the deal, or a reported LTM (last 12 months) revenue.

IRIS Software Group Funding History

IRIS Software Group has raised a total of $50M across 1 funding round.

IRIS Software Group funding rounds

IRIS Software Group funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedValuationDeal Summary
May 2018Undisclosed stageHgCapital (lead); Intermediate Capital Group (lead)$50M$1.6BIRIS Software Group is a leading UK-based provider of mission-critical business software and services, specializing in accountancy, HR, payroll, and education solutions. Founded in 1978, the company serves over 100,000 customers across 135 countries, managing payroll for one in six UK employees and HR for nearly one million. It operates development centers in India and Romania to build cloud-based products and is one of the UK's largest privately held software companies. IRIS maintains strong market positions, including as the largest third-party online tax filer with the UK Government, serving 54 of the top 100 US and 93 of top 100 UK accountancy firms, over 12,000 schools, and apps used by nearly four million UK families. This followed a 2007 acquisition-financing deal. A later private equity round occurred in December 2023.

Who has invested in IRIS Software Group?

2 investors have backed IRIS Software Group across its funding rounds, including Intermediate Capital Group and HgCapital.

Lead investors include HgCapital and Intermediate Capital Group.


IRIS Software Group Investors

Investors in IRIS Software Group by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check

This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all 2 IRIS Software Group investors.

Start Free Trial

Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

Sign up to see data on 350K+ funding rounds and disclosed revenue and EBITDA valuation multiples, from seed, through growth stage, to pre-IPO.

Start Free Trial

Acquisitions by IRIS Software Group

IRIS Software Group has acquired 27 companies to date.

Last acquisition by IRIS Software Group was on December 3rd 2024. IRIS Software Group acquired Dext for $635M.


Latest Acquisitions by IRIS Software Group

Dext
SwipeClock
Bridgehead
Apex Human capital management
Description
Dext, formerly known as Receipt Bank, is a digital bookkeeping platform that automates the collection and data extraction of receipts and invoices for accountants, bookkeepers, and small businesses. Launched in 2010, the company serves thousands of accounting and bookkeeping firms and more than 100,000 small business clients across North America, EMEA, and Australia, using AI to cut the manual work involved in day-to-day bookkeeping. Dext has expanded into ecommerce bookkeeping, helping online sellers consolidate revenue data from major marketplaces into their accounting software.
SwipeClock is a provider of cloud-based workforce management software headquartered in Eden, Utah. Its products include TimeWorksPlus for time and attendance, TimeWorks Mobile app, and TimeSimplicity for scheduling and leave tracking. The suite serves 24,000 businesses through 700 partners, ensuring labor compliance and cost controls.
Bridgehead is a European management consultancy delivering employee benefits, payroll processing, tax planning, human resources, and accounting services. With offices in the Netherlands and Belgium, it serves multinational corporations by handling compliance across EU regulations, including GDPR and local labor laws. Bridgehead manages payroll for over five thousand employees annually through its integrated software platform.
Apex Human Capital Management is a payroll and workforce management provider using cloud-based technology for payroll, tax, time, attendance, and HR services. The company operates over 250 offices across the United States and Guam, enabling service bureaus to scale with modern platforms replacing legacy systems.
HQ CountryUnited KingdomUnited StatesUnited KingdomUnited States
HQ City
London
Salt Lake City, UT
Redhill
Atlanta, GA
Deal Date3 Dec 202415 May 202412 Sep 202328 Feb 2023
Valuation$635Mundisclosedundisclosedundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all IRIS Software Group acquisitions and their M&A valuation multiples.

Start Free Trial

IRIS Software Group Competitors

IRIS Software Group competitors include listed companies like TOTVS, Freee and Workday, and private ones like Creatio, Deskera and Pipefy.

Public and private companies comparable to IRIS Software Group
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
TOTVSBrazilBrazilPublicly listed$1.1B$318M$3.8B3.2x
FreeeJapanJapanPublicly listed$214M$6M$1.5B4.8x
CreatioUnited StatesBoston, MAPrivate--$1.2B-
DeskeraUnited StatesMinneapolis, MNPrivate--$495M-
WorkdayUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$9.6B$1.2B$48B4.7x
PipefyUnited StatesSan Francisco, CAPrivate--$140M-

IRIS Software Group Public Comps

IRIS Software Group is no longer listed, but its public comps include TOTVS, Yonyou Hong Kong, Kingdee, ServiceTitan, Freee, Digiwin, TechnologyOne, Asseco Business Solutions, Inspur and Hangzhou Anysoft.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
TOTVS$1.1B$318M3.9x3.2x13.7x12.1x
Yonyou Hong Kong$1.4B$27M3.9x3.7x199.0x73.9x
Kingdee$1B$95M2.7x2.5x29.9x24.2x
ServiceTitan$961M($86M)5.0x4.5x(55.8x)25.5x
Freee$214M$6M6.3x4.8x237.7x65.4x
Digiwin$363M$48M4.0x3.8x30.1x23.6x
TechnologyOne$426M$182M15.4x13.7x36.1x30.8x
Asseco Business Solutions$126M$49M5.8x5.2x14.9x12.8x

This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all IRIS Software Group competitors and their valuation data.

Start Free Trial

Common questions about IRIS Software Group

When was IRIS Software Group founded?IRIS Software Group was founded in 1978.
Where is IRIS Software Group headquartered?IRIS Software Group is headquartered in Windsor, United Kingdom.
Is IRIS Software Group publicly listed?No, IRIS Software Group was acquired by Leonard Green & Partners and Hg in December 2023.
Who acquired IRIS Software Group?IRIS Software Group was acquired by Leonard Green & Partners and Hg in December 2023.
How much was IRIS Software Group acquired for?IRIS Software Group was acquired for $4B in December 2023.
What is IRIS Software Group's valuation?IRIS Software Group was last valued at $1.6B in its undisclosed-stage round in May 2018.
How much funding has IRIS Software Group raised?IRIS Software Group has raised $50M across 1 funding round.
What was IRIS Software Group's last funding round?IRIS Software Group's last funding round was a $50M undisclosed-stage round in May 2018, led by HgCapital and Intermediate Capital Group.
Who are IRIS Software Group's investors?IRIS Software Group's investors include HgCapital and Intermediate Capital Group.
What is IRIS Software Group's revenue?IRIS Software Group's latest recorded revenue is $452M (May 2018).
What is IRIS Software Group's revenue multiple?IRIS Software Group's latest valuation implies a 3.5x revenue multiple ($1.6B valuation on $452M of revenue).
Which companies are comparable to IRIS Software Group?Companies comparable to IRIS Software Group include TOTVS, Freee, Creatio, Deskera, Workday and Pipefy.
How many companies has IRIS Software Group acquired?IRIS Software Group has acquired 27 companies, including Dext, SwipeClock, Bridgehead, Apex Human capital management and Thomson Reuters myPay Solutions.
What was the largest acquisition by IRIS Software Group?The $635M acquisition of Dext in December 2024 is the largest acquisition IRIS Software Group has made to date.

See companies similar to IRIS Software Group

Start Your
Free Trial Today

Try Multiples for free for 3 days. Got questions or need a demo? Schedule a call with us below.

Start Trial