The combined company provides industry-leading technologies to help local, federal and international law enforcement agencies advance criminal investigations faster
PLANO, Texas — LeadsOnline LLC, a provider of data, technology and intelligence tools to U.S. law enforcement agencies, today announced it has acquired Forensic Technology Inc., a leader in 3-D imagery and automated ballistic identification, from Ultra Electronics. With this transaction, two leading technology companies join forces to provide global law enforcement agencies with enhanced data and tools to advance their cases faster – from thefts to homicides and, particularly, gun crimes.
A pioneer in the field, Forensic Technology created the world’s most advanced ballistic identification solution, IBIS (Integrated Ballistic Identification System), more than 30 years ago. IBIS is used today in more than 80 countries to combat and prevent crimes involving firearms and has helped public safety agencies solve hundreds of thousands of crimes worldwide.
“LeadsOnline has served U.S. law enforcement for more than 20 years, empowering local, state and federal agencies with unique data to work their cases more efficiently,” explained Alex Finley, CEO of LeadsOnline. “With Forensic Technology, we have an unprecedented opportunity to bring together powerful crime-solving capabilities to advance gun-related investigations faster. Given the shortage of law enforcement resources amid rising gun violence, we believe we have a duty to innovate, so investigators have access to broader intelligence to seek justice for victims and their families.”
The combined company will be headquartered in Plano, Texas, under the leadership of Finley, who joined LeadsOnline in 2019 as the Director of Strategy and became CEO in 2021. Forensic Technology will operate as a LeadsOnline company with the current Forensic Technology management team continuing to serve in their leadership roles. The company’s combined global employee base totals more than 300, bringing together differentiated law enforcement and technical expertise to deliver next-generation, post-incident resolution solutions.
“We are excited to find a home with LeadsOnline where we can expand the ways we serve the global law enforcement community,” said Alvaro Venegas, President of Forensic Technology. “Our teams are passionate about serving our clients, many of whom we now share, enabling us to deepen those relationships and extend the network effect of both companies’ solutions. Most importantly, we will work in tandem to enhance our existing offerings and develop new technologies to further serve investigators in making our society safer.”
Today, more than 22,000 businesses have used the LeadsOnline flagship solution to report 1.7 billion nationwide transactions and counting, as required by local jurisdictions. The company has added other solutions to its technology platform in recent years, including software for easier analysis and visualization of complex mobile device and geolocation data. With the acquisition of Forensic Technology, LeadsOnline enhances the investigative value of these solutions and expands its international reach, positioning it to serve a larger network of law enforcement agencies.
LeadsOnline is privately held and backed by global private equity firm TA Associates (TA). “We are thrilled to be partnered with the LeadsOnline team and fully support their dedication to helping those who protect and serve,” said Amara Suebsaeng, Director at TA. “We believe LeadsOnline and Forensic Technology, together, are uniquely positioned to make the world a safer place by creating an end-to-end solution for gun crime investigations. We are excited to continue investing in the combined business to grow its suite of investigative solutions to enable law enforcement agencies across the world to solve a broad spectrum of crimes.”
Forensic Technology’s offices in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Dublin, Ireland; Pretoria, South Africa; Bangkok, Thailand; and Largo, Florida, will remain open as key operational, support and training hubs.
LeadsOnline and TA were represented by Goodwin Procter as legal counsel and Deloitte as financial advisor. Advent International and Ultra Electronics were represented by Harris Williams as exclusive M&A advisor, Kirkland & Ellis as legal counsel, and KPMG as financial advisor.
The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
About LeadsOnline
LeadsOnline serves more than 70,000 investigators at 5,500 U.S. law-enforcement agencies by providing data, technology and intelligence tools. Investigators and crime analysts with local, state and federal jurisdictions use LeadsOnline data to identify suspects, stolen items and patterns of individual and organized criminal activity. More than 22,000 businesses, such as pawn shops, secondhand stores, scrap-metal recyclers and online marketplaces, use LeadsOnline more than any other system to comply in reporting sales transactions to law enforcement. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Plano, Texas. Please visit www.leadsonline.com for more information.
About Forensic Technology
Forensic Technology is the pioneer of automated ballistic identification and the creator of IBIS (Integrated Ballistic Identification System) technology used in more than 80 countries to combat and prevent firearm crime. During the last 30 years, the company has championed innovative technology and invested in research and development that furthers the creation and enhancement of new crime-fighting solutions to make the world safer. The company was established in 1991 with headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and support and training offices in Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States. For more information, please visit www.ultra-forensictechnology.com.
About TA
TA is a leading global private equity firm focused on scaling growth in profitable companies. Since 1968, TA has invested in more than 560 companies across its five target industries – technology, healthcare, financial services, consumer and business services. Leveraging its deep industry expertise and strategic resources, TA collaborates with management teams worldwide to help high-quality companies deliver lasting value. The firm has raised $65 billion in capital to date and has more than 150 investment professionals across offices in Boston, Menlo Park, Austin, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong. More information about TA can be found at www.ta.com.