BELFAST tech unicorn Kainos has completed its latest acquisition in the Americas, taking the firm’s global workforce to around 2,500.

The purchase of the Blackline Group, which is based near Seattle, adds another 50 staff to the rapidly growing IT services group.

It means Kainos has now expanded its workforce by almost 800 people since a global Covid-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020.

The value of the deal has not been disclosed, but Kainos’ chief executive Brendan Mooney said it would improve the group’s operations in North America.

Along with acquiring 100 per cent of the share capital of the Blackline Group, Kainos has taken over the entirety of Blackline's business.

Set up in 2009, the Washington State business specializes in procurement.

Like the recent acquisitions of IntuitiveTEK in Colorado and UNE Consulting in Buenos Aires, Blackline operates within the Workday ecosystem.

Kainos has now acquired six companies, which specialise in the office and financial management software.

The group’s Belfast-based chief executive, Brendan Mooney, said: "We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Blackline Group.

“The procurement expertise of our new colleagues, paired with our deep experience with Workday, will allow us to expand the support that we can provide our existing customers, not just in North America, but across our global operations.

“We are always striving to achieve the best business outcomes for our customers and extending our capability to include procurement helps us to achieve this goal.

“At the same time, we are also excited by the new opportunities that combining the experience and expertise of the Kainos and Blackline teams will create for our business."