Trade Interchange accelerate growth plans following acquisition by Everfield

Trade Interchange, based in Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside, provides supplier management software that helps organisations reduce the risks and costs associated with managing large or complex supplier bases. With support from Everfield, Trade Interchange is seeking to accelerate growth by further increasing its presence within its core markets in Europe. 

Trade Interchange works with clients across numerous industries, and specialises in supporting customers in industries with complex supply base and high degrees of compliance risk. The team has expertise in the food and beverage, hospitality and healthcare industries, where they support customers including AAK, Apetito, NHS Professionals, Sodexo and Whitbread. 

Everfield – the Europe-based, long-term B2B software investor – has made Trade Interchange its fourth UK acquisition, purchasing 100% of the shareholding. Trade Interchange will continue to be led by co-founder and CEO Mike Edmunds, while four other shareholders will exit the business.  

Mike Edmunds, CEO of Trade Interchange, said: “We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built so far. Our success has been down to customers liking our software and, crucially, liking our people too because of the high levels of service we provide.  

“We’re excited to be continuing our growth journey as part of Everfield. Securing this additional expertise and investment offers stability and continuity for our customers and colleagues, and it means we can help even more businesses to have complete confidence in their supplier base.” 

James Moore, Country Manager, Acquisitions for UK and Ireland at Everfield, said: “We were immediately impressed by Trade Interchange’s streamlined solution for managing supply chains, and won over by its strong and experienced team which has worked together for several years, and have developed strong relationships with their customers. 

“Bringing Trade Interchange into the Everfield ecosystem will allow us to provide the management team with the additional support, resources and knowledge that will help it to scale and drive international expansion. 

This acquisition continues our strong momentum in recent months. An increasing number of business owners and entrepreneurs recognise the value of securing a long-term partner to reduce the risks of managing a business, gain access to the tools and resources to accelerate their growth, and be part of a high-performance ecosystem of European businesses facing similar challenges.” 

Founded in 2000, Trade Interchange has grown to have 30 employees and its software is used by companies in 28 countries globally with 10 languages supported on the platform. 

The software enables customers to confidently manage tendering, eAuctions, supplier information, contracts, supplier performance and product information. It also allows customers to evidence and deliver on their wider sustainability and social value objectives by collecting and reporting on supplier ESG data. The product has numerous integrations to popular technology systems and data sources in the food and beverage, hospitality and healthcare industries and across ESG.  

The acquisition of Trade Interchange is Everfield’s 19th acquisition in Europe overall and its third in the food and beverage vertical market.  

In the UK, Everfield acquired UK software as a service businesses Depotnet and Stockton-on-Tees based Fitfactory in 2023, and in April this year, it acquired York-based MyKnowledgeMap.  

Trade Interchange was advised on the sale by Rickitt Mitchell (Corporate Finance) and Sintons (Legal). Everfield was advised by Grant Thornton (Financial and Tax), CMS (Legal), and Shiker (Technology).