Accenture announced that it has agreed to acquire Faculty, a London-based AI company known for building real-world AI systems, for $1 billion.
The deal still needs regulatory approval and financial details have not been shared.
This acquisition is part of Accenture’s efforts to help large organizations use artificial intelligence more securely and practically in their core operations.
Once the transaction is completed, the Faculty team of more than 400 AI specialists will join Accenture. This includes experienced data scientists and AI engineers.
Faculty CEO Marc Warner will also take on a new role as Accenture’s chief technology officer and join its global management committee.
Before founding the Faculty, Warner worked as a quantum physics researcher at Harvard and advised the UK government on AI policy.
“With Faculté, we will further accelerate our strategy to bring advanced and trusted AI to the heart of our clients’ businesses,” said Julie Sweet, president and CEO of Accenture. “I am pleased to welcome the faculty team to Accenture and look forward to Marc’s contribution to shaping our technology vision and strategy as Chief Technology Officer.”
Design and deploy AI systems
Founded in 2014, the Faculty has worked closely with public sector organizations and large enterprises to design and deploy AI systems operating in high-stakes environments.
The company is best known for combining deep technical skills with a strong focus on AI security and business intelligence.
The British company’s main product, Frontier, will also be part of Accenture’s AI product line. Frontier is a business intelligence platform that connects data, AI models, and business processes to help organizations make faster, better decisions.
Accenture and Faculty are already using the product with companies like Novartis to improve the planning and conduct of clinical trials.
The faculty has built AI systems used in some of the UK’s most critical situations.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company developed an early warning system for the National Health Service.
The tool was used daily by senior NHS leaders to forecast patient demand and decide how to allocate critical care resources across the country.
Manish Sharma, Director of Strategy and Services at Accenture, added: “Accenture combines the best of technology and human ingenuity to maximize returns on AI investments. Together with Faculté, we will bring together a group of talent who will help clients make AI work in the real world, connecting data, processes and people so that value emerges faster, orchestrated by multiple combinations of client-specific, tailored solutions, partner solutions and FrontierTM Faculty This will help our customers remain competitive, seek sovereign solutions and reinvent their operations with transparency and resilience.
Accenture also plans to expand the Faculty Fellowship Program, which helps doctoral students and researchers transition from academia to positions in industry.
The program has been successful in the UK and will now be rolled out more widely to Accenture and its client base.
The two companies have already been working together since the end of 2023, when Accenture became a preferred partner of the Frontier platform.