January 9, 2024

Accenture to Acquire Work & Co to Strengthen its Global Digital Products and Experience Transformation Capabilities

NEW YORK; Jan. 9, 2024 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has agreed to acquire Work & Co, a global digital product company that blends design, technology, and innovation to help companies create breakthrough products and experiences. The acquisition reinforces how continued investment by Accenture Song—the world's largest tech-powered creative group—is creating new ways for its clients to grow while meeting their customers' ever-evolving needs.

Founded in 2013, Work & Co has earned multiple honors for digital products it strategized on, designed, and developed, including Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards, Time’s Best Inventions list, and CES Innovation Awards. Work & Co has also been recognized by Forbes as one of the “Most Consequential Agencies” in business.

Globally, 97% of c-suite executives feel that their accelerated digital transformation efforts merely allow them to keep pace, not achieve new growth and customer relevance. Accenture Song and Work & Co have an aligned vision of the tremendous opportunity for building life-centric digital experiences and products in anticipation of a US$1755 billion global digital transformation market by 2028.

David Droga, CEO at Accenture Song, said: “Game recognizes game. I have admired Work & Co’s client work, distinct model, and strong leadership for years. It's little wonder they are widely considered as one of the world's very best digital product companies. So, as Song continues to grow significantly, we will continue to bring more and more tech expertise and creative excellence into our Song family.”

Work & Co has deep credibility in creating flagship digital experiences and products—from mobile apps and commerce platforms to retail experiences, digital kiosks, and generative AI applications. It also helps brands define and bring-to-market digital strategies and operationalize world-class digital products at-scale. Work & Co works with clients across consumer goods & services, communications & media, life sciences, travel, financial services, digital and technology. The company has also long been known for building AI platforms and this year has engaged with brands across travel, retail, and health to stand up new generative AI products.

Mohan Ramaswamy, Founding Partner at Work & Co, said: “Ten years ago, we envisioned a new model bringing design and technology together—embracing the notion that the best digital products and experiences not only drive value and critical outcomes for clients but make people’s day-to-day lives better too. With Accenture Song, we share a like-minded belief in the power unlocked by pairing creativity and technology. It's energizing to look towards a future of collaborating on work powered by the unmatched level of scale, intelligence, sector expertise, and innovation found at Accenture Song."

Headquartered in New York, Work & Co’s nearly 400 employees across the United States, Europe, and Latin America will join Accenture Song. Work & Co is the latest in a series of acquisitions that Accenture Song has made to bolster its ability to help clients grow, innovate, and sustain relevance, including Rabbit’s Tale, ConcentricLife, Fiftyfive5, The Stable, and Romp.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions.

Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “aspires,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “positioned,” “outlook,” “goal,” “target” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance nor promises that goals or targets will be met, and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks include, without limitation, risks that: Accenture and Work & Co will not be able to close the transaction in the time period anticipated, or at all, which is dependent on the parties’ ability to satisfy certain closing conditions; the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture’s results of operations have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company’s clients’ businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture’s business depends on generating and maintaining client demand for the company’s services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the company’s results of operations; if Accenture is unable to match people and their skills with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company’s business, the utilization rate of the company’s professionals and the company’s results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture faces legal, reputational and financial risks from any failure to protect client and/or company data from security incidents or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; Accenture’s ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key ecosystem partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company’s results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture’s profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies or fail to satisfy certain agreed-upon targets or specific service levels; changes in Accenture’s level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company’s effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture’s results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; as a result of Accenture’s geographically diverse operations and strategy to continue to grow in key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; Accenture’s business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture’s global operations expose the company to numerous and sometimes conflicting legal and regulatory requirements; Accenture’s work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accenture’s services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the “Risk Factors” heading in Accenture plc’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture’s expectations.

About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 743,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

Accenture Song accelerates growth and value for our clients through sustained customer relevance. Our capabilities span ideation to execution: growth, product and experience design; technology and experience platforms; creative, media and marketing strategy; and campaign, commerce transformation content and channel orchestration. With strong client relationships and deep industry expertise, we help our clients operate at the speed of life through the unlimited potential of imagination, technology and intelligence.

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Contact:

Julian McBride
Accenture
+1 917 244 9398
julian.mcbride@accenture.com