Sale of leading hospitality tech provider to ClearCourse

Our Bristol-based corporate team has advised the shareholders of Avon Data Systems Ltd – the business behind Rezcontrol, a market-leading hotel property management system – on its successful sale to ClearCourse.

Founded over 30 years ago and developed by a husband-and-wife team, Sarah and Mark Cade, Avon Data Systems has grown into a trusted technology partner for more than 450 hotels across the UK. Its flagship product, Rezcontrol, is an integrated platform that helps hospitality businesses manage everything from bookings and payments to CRM and revenue insights.

London-based ClearCourse, which is continuing to expand its portfolio of vertical market software companies, will support the next stage of growth for the Rezcontrol platform.

The team worked closely with the shareholders throughout the lifecycle of the deal – from early conversations around succession planning to designing the structure of the sale and resolving complex tax considerations. The multi-disciplinary team brought in tax and private client expertise to overcome a significant issue that could have jeopardised the transaction, ensuring a smooth path to completion.

The deal was led by corporate partner, Paul Hardman with support from Nikki Sohal, corporate tax advice from Julia Rosenbloom, and final stages handled by partner Andrew Smith.

Paul Harman commented, “This was a great example of what can be achieved when we work as one team across specialisms. It was a pleasure to support Sarah and Mark – who had built an innovative, values-led business – on such a significant milestone. We’re proud to have played a part in helping them realise the value of what they’ve created and set the business up for future growth under new ownership.”

The acquisition will see Avon Data Systems join ClearCourse’s Retail & Hospitality Software division as it continues to grow its offering in the sector.