Uplift Investors Acquires Financial Tech Advisory Firm Engage fi

Uplift Investors has secured its third platform investment from its initial $670 million fund, acquiring Engage fi, a specialist in technology and strategic guidance for financial institutions. This move underscores Uplift's focus on the professional services sector, following its earlier establishment of Orion Legal MSO.

Engage fi assists banks and credit unions in navigating the complex landscape of technology adoption, from evaluating and selecting solutions to negotiating contracts and managing implementation. Their expertise spans critical areas such as digital banking, core systems, payments, customer relationship management, and the integration of artificial intelligence. The firm has a substantial track record, having completed over 2,700 client engagements.

The financial services industry is currently undergoing significant digital transformation, driven by evolving customer expectations and the rapid advancement of AI technologies. Financial institutions are under pressure to modernize their often-outdated infrastructure while simultaneously enhancing user experience and operational efficiency. Engage fi is strategically positioned to address these pressing needs, offering services that include technology assessments, vendor comparisons, and comprehensive support for system conversions and mergers.

Uplift Investors intends to leverage its proprietary 5-5-5 Framework to accelerate Engage fi's growth. This strategy involves focusing on organizational design, technology enhancement, data and AI utilization, go-to-market strategies, talent development, and mergers and acquisitions. Specifically, Uplift plans to bolster Engage fi's market reach through its Go-to-Market Excellence initiative and deepen its technological capabilities by investing in its Technology, Data and AI Value Creation Center.

This investment is expected to build upon Engage fi's decade of accumulated proprietary data and enhance its use of AI in delivering advisory services. For Engage fi, partnering with Uplift Investors provides a new avenue for expansion, allowing it to broaden its service offerings and deepen its impact within the financial sector. Uplift Investors, a private equity firm headquartered in Darien, Connecticut, specializes in services-based businesses with scalable models.

The transaction saw William Blair & Company and KeyBanc Capital Markets acting as financial advisors to Uplift Investors, with Kirkland & Ellis providing legal counsel. Engage fi received financial advisory services from Guggenheim Securities and legal counsel from K&L Gates. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.