The US technology group Avalara has acquired the Manchester-based integration startup Versori. This underlines the growing international appeal of the UK’s regional technology sector.
The value of the deal was not disclosed, but it includes Versori’s proprietary technology platform and its 23-person team. Co-founders Sean Brown and Daniel Jones will remain with the company, which will operate under the name “Versori, by Avalara”.
Founded in 2022, Versori specializes in next-generation integration technology that enables companies to connect complex systems such as ERPs, e-commerce platforms, marketplaces and financial applications faster and in a more automated way. The company raised $10.5 million in pre-funding and completed the prestigious Y Combinator accelerator program in March 2023.
Sean Brown said the acquisition closely aligns with Versori’s founding vision.
“We want Versori to connect the world’s systems. That’s been the mission statement from day one,” he said. “As we were in a growth phase, we were facing another round of investment, but Avalara was already a customer and the strategic fit was very good.”
Avalara describes itself as an “agentic” tax and compliance leader, providing automated tax calculation, reporting and compliance solutions to more than 200,000 customers in 75 countries. Its long-term goal is to integrate real-time and always-on compliance into global trading systems.
Scott McFarlane, CEO and co-founder of Avalara, said the acquisition would significantly accelerate that goal.
“Compliance at a global level depends on seamless, reliable integration,” he said. “Versori’s technology and team significantly accelerate our ability to connect quickly and at scale to the world’s trading systems using intelligent, AI-driven automation that meets the reliability and accuracy standards of global compliance requirements.”
The move strengthens Avalara’s unified platform strategy, particularly as regulatory complexity increases globally and multinational companies seek automated, audit-proof compliance solutions embedded directly into transaction flows.
Versori’s platform leverages an automation-focused architecture to reduce the time and technical resources required to build and maintain integrations. By leveraging artificial intelligence, the system can simplify deployment and ongoing maintenance, making it attractive to companies operating across multiple jurisdictions and platforms.
Since its inception, Versori has worked with high-profile organizations such as Frasers Group, Macy’s and the UK Ministry of Defense. Its growth trajectory has made it one of the fastest growing business software startups in Manchester.
Brown said the acquisition showed Manchester could produce globally competitive technology companies.
“It’s proof that Manchester can grow companies like Versori,” he said. “Hopefully it will bring more investment into Manchester and more talent. I haven’t done it before because it’s worth it. I love building things and I’m looking forward to continuing to build things with Versori. I still have a lot of unfinished business.”
The deal also reflects continued U.S. interest in British AI and enterprise software firms, particularly those outside London. Manchester’s tech ecosystem has grown rapidly in recent years, supported by university spin-outs, venture capital inflows and accelerator programs.
For Avalara, the acquisition means expanded AI-powered integration capabilities at a time when global tax and compliance requirements are becoming increasingly digital and complex. The company has spent more than two decades building one of the most comprehensive libraries of tax content and system integrations in the industry. The integration of Versori’s automation technology is intended to improve speed, scalability and reliability across the network.
Both companies said integration work is already underway, with Versori’s technology forming an important part of Avalara’s push toward AI-native compliance systems that operate continuously and autonomously within the global trading infrastructure.
