Armanino, one of the 20 largest accounting and business consulting firms in the U.

S., has acquired Step Up Consulting, a UKG Ready focused implementations and support partner. The acquisition was advised by martinwolf, an M&A advisor specializing in IT.

Step Up Consulting, headquartered in California, is recognized for its client-first approach to UKG Ready implementations and support. Its team combines technical expertise with business insight to optimize HR and payroll operations for clients across various industries.

The integration of Step Up Consulting’s extensive experience with the UKG Ready platform aims to enhance Armanino’s enterprise technology offerings. This expansion is designed to better serve small and mid-sized organizations seeking agile and scalable Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions.

Praneet Panga, Chief Financial Officer of Step Up Consulting, commented, “martinwolf’s knowledge, persuasive leadership, and candid guidance gave us the confidence we needed to pursue the right outcome. The depth and caliber of their team, understanding of the market and ability to manage the expectations of both sides were valuable and made them strong partners throughout the process.”

Seth Collins, Managing Partner at martinwolf, noted the broader market implications, stating, “This transaction is emblematic of the strong growth we’re continuing to see in the human capital management industry, especially within the UKG Partner ecosystem. As larger service firms continue to diversify their technology partners, we expect further consolidation among well-positioned implementation partners such as Step Up Consulting.”

martinwolf, the M&A advisory firm, focuses exclusively on IT sectors including cloud/tech-enabled services, software/SaaS, and IT supply chain. The firm has advised on approximately 300 transactions across more than 20 countries.