ClearCourse buys Kurve to boost hospitality software

ClearCourse has acquired Kurve and its pointOne EPOS brand, adding self-service point-of-sale technology to its hospitality software portfolio.

Kurve supplies self-service kiosks, digital ordering systems and EPOS products to hospitality businesses including quick-service restaurants, bakeries, theatres and cafes. The acquisition expands ClearCourse's hospitality reach and adds another specialist software business to its wider group.

ClearCourse already operates in the sector through brands including TISSL, Rezcontrol and Giftpro. Those products are used by hotels, fine-dining venues and other hospitality operators across the UK, while Kurve extends that base into self-service and high-throughput environments.

Hospitality focus

Kurve's products are aimed at operators that want customers to order and pay through kiosks and other digital channels. Its systems are designed for businesses that need consistency across multiple sites and tighter control over ordering and payments.

The acquisition comes as hospitality operators face pressure from higher wage bills and persistent labour shortages. In that environment, self-service and digital ordering systems have become more common across fast food, casual dining and entertainment venues as businesses look for ways to process orders more quickly and reduce reliance on staffed tills.

The deal will help ClearCourse offer hospitality customers a more connected set of software and payments tools. The group has built its model around acquiring specialist vertical software companies and linking those products to embedded payment services.

Founded in London in 2018, ClearCourse serves more than 20,000 customers and has acquired more than 40 software and payments businesses since launch. The company is backed by Aquiline.

For Kurve, the transaction brings the business into a larger software group with existing hospitality brands and payments infrastructure. That could create closer links between self-service ordering, gift card redemption and payments within a single platform for operators using multiple systems.

Kurve has focused on the hospitality and arts sectors, with self-service products aimed at multi-site operators and venues that handle large volumes of customer transactions. Its pointOne EPOS brand is part of that offering.

ClearCourse Chief Executive Officer Christina Hamilton outlined the rationale for the acquisition: "We are delighted to welcome Kurve into the ClearCourse group. Their outstanding reputation in the sector demonstrates the deep knowledge and expertise that went into building such leading products. They differentiate our offering in the hospitality sector, and we are excited by the natural integration points this partnership will bring."

Steven Rolfe said the deal marks a new stage for the business. "This is an important step in Kurve's journey and one I am looking forward to continuing as part of ClearCourse. We serve fantastic customers and are seeing strong momentum, and this partnership will enable us to bring together specialist hospitality technology with embedded payments - delivering more complete and seamless solutions to our customers. Being part of ClearCourse will also create opportunities to work alongside other hospitality businesses in the portfolio, enabling deeper integration with solutions tailored to the hospitality sector."

Steve Boyes, founder and chairman of Kurve, also commented on the transaction: "I am hugely proud of the legacy we have built, and excited about what the team can now achieve together with ClearCourse. I am confident that joining ClearCourse is the strategic move that will drive the business forward into its next chapter."