Techie Granite’s takeover opens up huge opportunities

DIGITAL agency Granite will add clients including ESB and An Post following Cork’s acquisition of global design agency Wondr.

The acquisition will expand Granite’s global footprint, adding over 30 top clients across Ireland, the UK and the Middle East, strengthening Granite’s position as Ireland’s largest independent digital agency and expanding its presence abroad.

“Wonder’s impressive achievements in helping customers generate over €500 million in additional revenue underscore our shared commitment to growth and innovation,” said Granite CEO Conor Buckley.

“This partnership enhances the quality of our offering, providing our clients with cutting-edge and trend-setting design solutions. Together we intend to accelerate customer growth both in Ireland and internationally.”

Founded in 2014 by Dermot O’Shea, Wondr specializes in services spanning strategy, user experience design, digital branding and enterprise solutions. Using advanced artificial intelligence technologies, Wondr develops digital products that help customers build digital presence and support growth.

Her clients include ESB, An Post, DCCI, 11Onze, Agthia, Perrett Laver and Independent Pharmacy.

Wondr has won Best Small Agency in the Digital Media Awards two years in a row, Best eCommerce Website in the Spider Awards, and international awards in prestigious programs such as Webby Awards (USA), UX Design Awards (Germany) and ADG Lau Awards ( Spain).

Following the acquisition, Wondr Granite expects annual revenues to increase to over €16 million in 2024.

Dermot O’Shea will join Granite as a new business partner, tasked with driving design innovation and supporting business development.

His experience of working with clients such as Fáilte Ireland, Google, KBC, Vodafone, National Lottery and GAA will be very useful to Granite as they continue to develop their digital design services in the Irish and international markets. “Joining forces with Granite marks a significant step in our development journey,” said Dermot.

“It allows us to redefine digital transformation by seamlessly combining our creative strengths and technological expertise. With the additional skills and experience of the Granite team, we look forward to combining our skills to deliver exceptional value to our customers around the world.

Wondr is the latest successful combination of Granite’s recent acquisition of digital services company, which includes Armour, Continuum, Willows Consulting, Connector, MediaOne and New York-based LCM Granite. With the addition of Wondr, Granite will grow its team to 140 digital specialists.

Granite was founded in West Cork in 2009 and has successfully completed over 1,000 digital projects for some of Ireland’s largest companies and institutions.

Granite is Ireland’s largest independent digital agency. It has been on a significant growth path in recent years, expanding its customer base to over 1,200 organizations. Enterprise Ireland, Bons Secours Health System, Dublin Bus, Davy, Fexco and Aon are just some of the organizations Granite uses.

It has been recognized by Deloitte as one of Ireland’s 20 fastest growing technology companies for four years in a row.

Wondr has been in business since 2014 and has carved a niche in the industry with its expertise in digital product innovation and brand strategy.

Wondr is recognized as one of the best practices in digital product design in Europe and boasts over 63 awards from the most prestigious programs in the world.