Epassi, a leading European employee benefits technology provider, has expanded its UK presence through the acquisition of Zest, a highly regarded SaaS platform that helps employers personalise, communicate and manage employee benefits. This move marks a key milestone in Epassi’s pan-European growth strategy and expands capabilities for HR and reward professionals in the UK and beyond.
Founded in 2004, Zest has grown to serve over 500 organisations and more than 300,000 employees, offering flexible benefits solutions through an award-winning platform. Known for its intuitive user experience and strong HR integrations, Zest’s platform enables employers to deliver personalised benefits, total reward statements, recognition tools and targeted internal communications – all from a single interface.
The acquisition is a strategic step in Epassi Group’s ambition to become the leading European tech platform for employee benefits and engagement. With operations already in Finland, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, the UK and Ireland, Epassi’s reach spans more than 22 million employees and 43,000 employers across the continent.
The UK has long been a priority market for Epassi, and the acquisition of Zest significantly strengthens its local capabilities. In particular, Zest’s configurable platform will expand the product suite available to both existing and future clients in the region.
As part of the move, Zest CEO Matt Russell has been appointed to lead the entire Epassi UK business. He said of this acquisition
“We are thrilled to join Epassi. Together, we share a passion for innovation and wellbeing. By combining our strengths, we will be able to offer clients even more value, scale, and product depth. This is a hugely exciting opportunity for our people, our partners, and our customers.”
Epassi Group CEO Pekka Rantala echoed the significance of the move for Epassi’s long-term strategy:
“This is a powerful step forward in our pan-European growth journey. Zest’s advanced platform and strong market position in the UK perfectly complement our vision of a unified, digital-first, multi-benefit experience across all markets. We warmly welcome the Zest team into the Epassi family.”
Epassi’s mobile-first technology enables employees to access a wide range of wellbeing benefits – from fitness and nutrition to culture and commuting – via a single digital wallet. The company partners with over 97,000 service providers and has been recognised for its rapid growth, ranking among the Financial Times’ fastest growing companies in Europe for four consecutive years (2022–2025).
Zest, meanwhile, has become one of the UK’s most trusted names in workplace tech, picking up recent accolades such as Workplace Tech of the Year at the National Technology Awards 2024 and Best Employee Benefits Technology at the Corporate Adviser Awards 2024.
By joining forces, the two companies are well-positioned to support HR and reward leaders in delivering meaningful employee experiences at scale—combining deep local insight with Epassi’s European reach.
