Accenture to acquire ALBERT Inc, a Japanese data science firm

Accenture said on Tuesday that it would acquire data science firm ALBERT Inc, after a tender offer has been completed.

The acquisition will add a data science team of 250 permanent employees and contractors to Accenture’s Applied Intelligence practice to further enhance its data and AI capabilities for customers.

ALBERT Inc was established in 2005 and was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2015. The firm offers AI and big data analytics services, AI-based algorithm development, AI implementation consulting as well as data science training support, mostly to major business clients in Japan.

ALBERT is expected to bolster Accenture’s ability internationally to help its customers manage the total reinvention of their enterprises. Technology, data and AI will transform every aspect of their business and enable new ways of working with customers along with new business models and growth opportunities, Accenture said.

“Companies today need a 360-degree view on their business to make better and faster decisions. They must look beyond the financials and include, for example, sustainability initiatives, customer experiences, and people development and retraining. Gaining this holistic perspective and being able to simulate every aspect of the business requires deep data science expertise and AI capabilities. Accenture and ALBERT’s team will bring these to clients to help them succeed in their total enterprise reinvention,” Atsushi Egawa, who heads Accenture’s business operations in Japan, said in a press release.

“ALBERT’s philosophy is to connect the world with data science and co-create new value for a better future. As leading companies across industries are investing heavily in AI, we’re seeing growing demand for the technologies and skills that are the core of our business,” Takeshi Matsumoto, President and Chief Executive Officer of ALBERT Inc, said.

The number of ALBERT’s common shares and stock acquisition rights tendered to Accenture was significantly higher than the threshold required for ALBERT to become part of Accenture, the company said.

The tender offer was launched on September 29th and closed on November 14th.

Accenture also said it expected to acquire all remaining shares and stock acquisition rights in the next months, after which ALBERT will be delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange.