18 April 2023: Voicescape, the leading provider of communications software for social housing providers and local authorities, has secured a £9 million investment from BGF – one of the largest and most experienced growth capital investors in the UK and Ireland.  

The significant investment will be used to expand Voicescape’s product suite and to invest in the development and growth of its AI-driven Caseload Manager tool.

Founded in 1998, Voicescape combines automation technology, behavioural insights, and data science to create bespoke communication solutions that help public service organisations drive substantial operational efficiencies and service improvements. Voicescape works with more than 50 registered social housing providers and local authorities across the UK, empowering them to connect with their communities at scale across various critical touchpoints, including rent collection, customer satisfaction feedback, gas and safety checks. 

The deal will see Voicescape’s chief operations officer Gary Haynes become managing director and Bill Williams, chief revenue officer, will continue to lead the sales division which has generated 174% growth in ARR over the last two years. Dean Dickinson, who joined as non-executive chair in April 2022, will continue in his role. Dean was previously CEO at BGF-backed Castleton Technology – a software and managed services provider to the public and not-for-profit sectors.

Voicescape founder, John Doyle said: “The social housing and local authority sectors have displayed a remarkable appetite for digital transformation over the last few years, which was only accelerated by the pandemic. The constantly changing needs and circumstances of residents have been highlighted, making it crucial for organisations to use technology effectively. Voicescape’s solutions have been focused on helping organisations use technology to better understand their customers’ behaviours and improve engagement at scale, especially when faced with these strategic challenges. BGF is an ideal partner to support Gary, Bill and the team to help more organisations in the areas of greatest need.”

By using automation technology, behavioural insights, and data science, Voicescape delivers value-added products and services that drive innovation and tackle the most significant challenges faced by social housing. Through evidence-based digital transformation, Voicescape helps organisations improve engagement, streamline operations, and enhance service delivery.

Developed in partnership with social housing provider, Thirteen Group, Caseload Manager reviews resident behaviours and risks before automating every stage of the rent arrears management process – delivering the right message, at the right time, using the right contact method – freeing-up human resources for higher-value tasks supporting those in need of personal intervention. Since implementation in late 2021, Caseload Manager has reduced the number of arrears cases requiring manual action at Thirteen by 65%.

The deal was led by Pinesh Mehta and Josh Bean, investors in BGF’s North West team. As part of the deal Pinesh Mehta and BGF portfolio manager, Jill Williams will join the board. 

Pinesh added: “Voicescape has already made some strong strategic acquisitions to enhance its use of behavioural insights and data science, which sets it apart from other software providers in its space. At the same time, the business has built out an impressive and capable management team to drive future growth. Voicescape’s technology, which has been co-developed with customers, is already transforming organisations. Our investment will enable even more public service organisations to adopt automation technology to improve operational efficiency and build better engagement with staff, tenants and service users.”  

Advisors to BGF: 

• Legal – TLT 
• Tax – Hurst
• Financial due diligence – Paul Bosson

Advisors to Voicescape: 

• Legal – Hill Dickinson

ENDS

About BGF

BGF was set up in 2011 and has invested over £3bn in more than 500 companies, making it one of the most active growth capital investors in the UK and Ireland. Investing from a balance sheet of £2.5bn, BGF is a minority, non-controlling equity partner with a patient outlook on investments, based on shared long-term goals with the management teams it backs. BGF invests in growing businesses in the UK and Ireland through its network of 15 offices. BGF models have now been set up in Canada and Australia, with other countries evaluating the opportunity to replicate this. 

www.bgf.co.uk / @BGFinvestments

About Voicescape

Voicescape was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Manchester. Using a unique combination of automation technology, behavioural insights and data science, Voicescape creates bespoke communication solutions that help public service organisations drive substantial operational efficiencies and service-level improvements.

Building on best practice honed over more than a decade working in partnership with the public sector, Voicescape offers an evidence-based approach to digital transformation, allowing people resources to be redeployed to where a ‘human touch’ is required. In this way, organisations can support members of the community who have the greatest need and create meaningful interactions that residents truly value.

https://www.voicescape.com/