HR and payroll software provider Ciphr has further strengthened its payroll business by acquiring Shape, a cloud-based payroll platform used by 1,500 UK businesses. The deal marks a significant ramp-up in payroll-focused activities for the Reading-based, ECI-backed tech group, which already processes over £2 billion in payroll and BACS salary payments a year for its clients.
Since April, Ciphr has added over 20 new payroll customers, including payroll software, outsourced payroll and payroll bureau customers, and expanded its team of payroll experts.
Ciphr has also made several key appointments since last October, including Julie Lally, as MD of payroll; Daniel Turnbull as VP of customer operations; Andrew Stevens as chief technology officer; Jaspal Randhawa, as director of product (payroll, compliance and data platform); Eira Hammond, as payroll bureau and transformation director; and regulatory analyst Claire Warner FCIPP.
Joining forces with Shape – a robust and intuitive, API-led payroll solution – will build on this business growth. It will accelerate the development of Ciphr’s market-leading payroll technology and help ensure that Ciphr can deliver an even better experience for its new and existing payroll customers and their people.
Shape’s founders, husband and wife team Alex and Cheri Bartlett, and the rest of their team, will also join Ciphr from today.
Commenting on the announcement, Sion Lewis, CEO of Ciphr, says: “We’re thrilled to welcome Alex and Cheri to the Ciphr team. Shape is a cutting-edge, API-first payroll solution that has a great reputation in the payroll sector. Shape’s applications are extensive and well-suited to medium and large-sized organisations, like Ciphr’s customers.
“We have great HR solutions, we are HR experts – it’s what we do best – and we have more than 40 years’ experience in the HR and payroll industry. Building out Ciphr’s payroll business is a key focus for us this year, and part of our longer-term growth strategy. And Shape is a perfect fit to take our payroll tech to the next level.
“This acquisition will truly enhance our payroll proposition and help us to continue to support and empower the payroll professionals who use, and rely on, Ciphr’s software and solutions.”
