EdgeCase, the leading Ruby on Rails software company, has announced its acquisition by Tokyo based technology company Digital Garage, creating a global consultancy – New Context. New Context will operate out of the US, the UK and Japan and signals a change in the way startups are supported.
Through acquisitions of leading companies like EdgeCase, Digital Garage hopes to expand its capabilities and offer a full service for startups. Targeting the Lean Startup movement, the consultancy will assist with the design, development and delivery of web and mobile applications based on lean and agile methodologies.
Digital Garage, since its establishment in 1995, has pioneered various domains of Internet business in Japan, including portals, media representation, e-Commerce, mobile communication and blogging. An investor in Twitter and Path, Digital Garage has created partnerships to customise the Japanese versions of Technorati, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Paul Wilson, EdgeCase UK MD explains: “I am delighted that we will have the opportunity to bring the Lean Startup Methodology to established businesses, as well as startups, as it is the most important business development of the past five years. This is an incredibly exciting moment for EdgeCase and I am absolutely thrilled to be part of it.”
Since its launch in 2006, EdgeCase has specialised in the development of mobile and web applications for both startups and Fortune 500 companies. The company currently employs 33 people, from offices in Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio and Edinburgh, Scotland.
The acquisition follows a period of sustained growth, and will see Paul Wilson become Managing Director of EdgeCase UK. Founders Ken Barker and Joe O’Brien will continue in their previous roles as President and CEO respectively.
Joe O’Brien, CEO and co-founder of EdgeCase comments: “We have always excelled at building software and teams. We help startups get on their feet technically and by hiring and training teams for them. For our Fortune 500 clients we are able to translate the lean and agile concepts from our startup clients, as well as train their existing teams on the newer technologies for maximum impact. Forming New Context gives us an incredible platform to help take our work to the next level and offer clients a broader set of capabilities and strengths as well as reach places we have not been able to yet, such as the Asian market.”
New Context President and group CTO of DG, Ian McFarland comments: “We’re excited to bring together so many thought leaders from the design and development worlds under one roof. EdgeCase has a proven track record in eliminating risk in the areas of design and implementation. Combined with Digital Garage’s strength in operations and finance, we see huge potential to reshape how software is designed, developed and delivered. This is just a first step, but we think it’s a big one.”
The acquisition has already drawn attention from leading industry figures. Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, Inc and the Obvious Corporation, says: “I’m really excited about the vision Ian has made for New Context. I think it has the potential to transform how software is made, and really help their clients to take Agile and Lean to a new level.”
And Eric Ries, author of New York Times bestseller ‘The Lean Startup’ lends his support: “I’m excited by the birth of this new company, dedicated to lean startup principles, and addressing both design and development. This integrated approach is both powerful and unique.”
For more information contact: Lauren Cormack
