BENGALURU : Global technology major Accenture said on Tuesday it has entered into an agreement to acquire BRIDGEi2i, an artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics firm headquartered in Bengaluru, with additional offices in the US and Australia.

The acquisition will add more than 800 deeply skilled professionals to Accenture’s Applied Intelligence practice, strengthening and scaling up its global capabilities in data science, machine learning and AI-powered insights. The financial details of the transaction are not being disclosed.

Founded in 2011, BRIDGEi2i specializes in data-driven digital transformation for companies across industries and global markets by combining data engineering, advanced analytics, proprietary AI accelerators and consulting services. It helps enterprises drive insights for faster and more accurate decision-making, thereby enabling shorter time to value.

Accenture research revealed that organizations that are stepping up investments in technologies such as AI and cloud are growing revenue at five times the rate of those not making these strategic investments.

“The covid-19 pandemic has made technologies such as AI core to business success, with scaled investments enabling enterprises to thrive by refocusing on growth during the most disruptive time in their history," said Sanjeev Vohra, global lead for Accenture Applied Intelligence. “In this rapidly evolving space, constantly building new capabilities is key, and we believe that BRIDGEi2i will further enhance our AI skills and data science capabilities to strengthen how our global network delivers value for clients."

“BRIDGEi2i is a great example of India's prowess in digital skills. Its specialised AI capabilities combined with Accenture’s ability to innovate at scale will power our clients’ digital reinvention journeys across the globe," said Rekha M. Menon, chairperson and senior managing director, Accenture in India.

According to Prithvijit Roy, chief executive officer and co-founder, BRIDGEi2i, the digital enterprise of the future is being reimagined today with AI. “At BRIDGEi2i, we believe in diving into the heart of business challenges and driving transformation in its truest sense for our clients by combining our AI capabilities with our digital consulting expertise. We are excited to join Accenture and believe that our people and approach will complement their capabilities and help us scale up our impact across industries," he said.

This acquisition is expected to augment Accenture’s analytics, data and AI business around the world. This follows the acquisitions of Analytics8 in Australia, Pragsis Bidoop in Spain, Mudano in the UK, Byte Prophecy in India, Sentelis in France, and Clarity Insights, End-to-End Analytics, and Core Compete in the US.