NI-based IT firm doubles Canadian workforce after acquisition

One of Northern Ireland’s largest IT businesses, Kainos, is set to double its workforce in Canada after acquiring a partner consultancy company.

Davis Pierrynowski Limited, known as Davis Pier, was established in 2014. It has headquarters in Nova Scotia, with operations in Ontario, and employs about 120 people.

Both companies have been partnered since 2022 to provide modern transformations to systems within the Canadian public and healthcare sectors.

The acquisition comes months after Kainos announced 190 redundancies within the firm, a decision the company’s boss Brendan Mooney said he “deeply regrets”.

Kainos is one of Northern Ireland’s most successful companies and employs about 3,000 people.

It specialises in helping organisations digitise their operations and counts UK government departments among its major clients.

Within the last financial year, Kainos said its digital services in Canada have delivered a revenue growth of over 70% to £9m.

The team has also expanded to more than 100, with 60 based in North America.

The terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.

Mr Mooney said bringing both teams together is “a natural next step”.

“It has been a privilege to work alongside the Davis Pier team in delivering solutions for our shared clients that create tangible social impact for citizens,” he said.

“We are excited by the opportunities this creates for our clients, for our new and existing colleagues, and for our business in Canada.”

Davis Pier chief, Mike Davis, said he was proud of the impact the company has had in Canada over the years.

“With technology now a fundamental part of society, combining our teams brings proven global approaches and local expertise to modernise and future-proof public services for residents in Canada,” he added.

“Together, we can amplify our impact and accelerate the growth of our combined team.”