Leeds-based Smoothwall has been acquired by Australian company Family Zone Cyber Safety Limited for £75.5m

Leeds based Smoothwall, the digital safety technology provider, has been acquired by Australian-based tech company Family Zone Cyber Safety Limited, for an all-cash consideration of £75.5 million.

Family Zone is an ASX-listed technology company and a global leader in the cyber safety industry.

Family Zone has created a patented cyber safety system, which is a platform that enables schools, parents and cyber safety educators.to collaborate.

Smoothwall is one of the world’s largest providers of digital and safeguarding services, with a strong market position in the UK and operations in the US.

Smoothwall supports more than 12,400 schools and six million students across its UK and US operations.

A spokesman said: "Smoothwall was backed by the private equity firm, Tenzing PE Ltd, in late 2017 and has since executed a strong growth plan with diversification of solutions into the Cloud and the successful integration of three acquisitions.

Tim Levy, Managing Director of Family Zone said: “Our organisations are both on a mission to keep children safe and our platforms and culture create a unique and remarkable opportunity for synergies and growth.”.

The acquisition establishes one of the world’s largest and fastest growing cyber safety providers, servicing more than 18,000 schools and nine million students across Australia, New Zealand, the US and UK.

Georg Ell, Chief Executive Officer of Smoothwall said, “Over the past four years our team has worked hard to build new world-class capabilities, and the combination of these two innovative businesses is simply fantastic news for the next chapter at Smoothwall.

"We have strong shared values with Family Zone and this further powers our quest to create a unique and world-leading suite of digital safeguarding solutions for schools and their communities and to become the most trustworthy safeguarding technology provider in the world.”