Deloitte Canada buys AI and data firm Groundswell Group
Deloitte Canada has acquired Groundswell Group, a Calgary-based artificial intelligence and data integration firm.
Founded in 2001, Groundswell is the largest AI and data management firm in Western Canada. The firm supports clients in Canada and the US with services in AI, cloud data transformation, intelligent automation, business intelligence, data visualization, big data, and predictive analytics.
The company has 133 employees across offices in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver, and works with clients in the oil and gas, retail, utilities, finance, manufacturing, communications, and government.
Deloitte’s acquisition of Groundswell will boost the firm’s capabilities in machine learning, intelligence automation, and cloud data engineering.
“This is a very exciting time for AI and cloud transformation, and pairing up with Groundswell is yet another way of showing our commitment to helping Canada transform as a country by serving this fast-growing space and our mid-market and large clients," said Anthony Viel, CEO of Deloitte Canada.
Viel added that the transaction has made Deloitte the "number one artificial intelligence consultancy" in Canada.
Groundswell’s employees will join Deloitte’s Omnia AI division. Groundswell leaders Darren Sartison, Morgan Arndt, and Adrian Hull will join Deloitte as partners.
“By combining Groundswell's technical depth and capabilities with Deloitte's comprehensive AI and data offerings, from strategy to implementation to operations, we're truly stronger together," Sartison said.
Deloitte Canada in February sold off than 20 regional offices – mostly specializing in audit, tax, and advisory services to small businesses – to mid-market accounting and consulting firm MNP. The Big Four firm said it would use the money from the transaction to further invest in its digital consulting capabilities – which have seen increased demand during the pandemic.
Deloitte made its first acquisition of the year later that month, adding more than 150 employees from TWG, a Toronto-based application development and data engineering firm.
The firm also earlier this month announced the launch of an AI institute in Canada to help foster research and AI adoption across industries.
