Design firm Delve makes first acquisition under new owner

Delve announced its acquisition of Boston-based digital innovation and design firm Altr this week.

Madison, Wisconsin–based Delve said Altr is its first acquisition under the ownership of private equity firm Trinity Hunt Partners, which purchased Delve in May 2021 and merged it with product design consultancy firm Bresslergroup.

“Almost two years ago to the day, we announced our intention to build a company that could be considered the world’s best end-to-end product innovation firm,” Delve President Andrew Weiman said in a news release yesterday. “With Altr, we take another giant step forward. Much more to come.”

The deal comes as medical device developers are increasingly integrating digital offerings into their devices. Delve said the Altr deal “strengthens Delve’s ability to deliver products, services, and experiences to clients that seamlessly combine physical and digital features.”

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“The future is about delivering a unified product experience – digital, physical, and service,” Delve President Andrew Weiman said in the release. “Our clients will now be able to achieve that future with a single innovation partner, Delve.”

Both companies serve medtech clients. Delve designed and engineered the Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System and is working on the next-generation G7, among other medical devices. Altr, meanwhile, helped Becton Dickinson develop the BD Diabetes Care mobile application.

“We chose Delve because we share a vision for how to better serve people and build a more meaningful and effective future through design,” Altr Chief of Design Christine Pillsbury said. “We’re excited to empower clients new and old with our collective ability to deliver in digital and physical environments.”

Pillsbury founded Altr in 2014 with Geordie McClelland, who’s now serving as the combined company’s head of strategy.