RWS to acquire UK AI platform in £40m deal
Global AI solutions company RWS Holdings has reached an agreement to acquire UK based AI company Obviously in a bumper £40m deal as it looks to pivot to become a “technology-first business”.
AIM-listed RWS agreed to buy the AI platform for an initial cash offer of £16.5m, with an earn-out consideration of up to £23.5m, meaning Obviously must produce a profitable performance in the years leading to September 2029 to access the extra capital.
The total consideration for the acquisition is capped at £40m, with both parties confirming they are in “advanced and exclusive discussions” to finalise the transaction.
If completed, RWS claimed the acquisition will allow it to boost its offerings to clients beyond AI infrastructure to protection through access to Obviously’s platform which enables legal and marketing and financial teams to track brand assets and IP rights.
Obviously opportunities
In the year 28 February 2026, Obviously generated revenue of roughly £2.5m and a loss of around £1.5m.
But RWS hailed it a “strategic investment” which has the possibility to “create significant revenue opportunities” and would expand the group’s market by £2bn through accessing both Obviously’s trademark and brand protection solutions.
The platform mainly provides IP management solutions, brand protection and IP intelligence, using data to streamline client experiences and sales.
RWS plans to leverage Obviously’s technology onto a single, consolidated platform, all while accessing the UK group’s wide range of clients, spanning media, financial and pharmaceutical companies.
Obviously will continue to be managed by chief executive Lewis Whiting, who will join RWS’s protect segment.
Significant step forward
RWS was founded in 1958, and has grown from a specialist patent and technology translation firm to a global leader in technology-enabled language management.
It listed on the AIM market in 2003, and has seen shares rise nearly 20 per cent over the past year.
Shares are up 9.6 per cent this year to date, trading at 92.8p.
Benjamin Faes, chief executive officer of RWS, said: “The acquisition of Obviously will be a significant step forward in accelerating our growth by pivoting to be a technology-first business.
“Bringing Obviously into the group will mean RWS can offer an integrated, global brand guardianship solution to our existing client base and will position us well for potential clients in our existing and expanded addressable market.”
Whiting also welcomed the potential acquisition, hailing it an “important milestone”, allowing it to bring its AI platforms to “RWS’s extensive customer base”.
There is no certainty that a transaction will ultimately be agreed, with a further announcement to be made when a decision is reached.