Wipro buys US-design consultancy Cooper for $8.5 million

Wipro said its digital unit had acquired San Francisco-based design consultancy Cooper for $8.5 million to grow its digital innovation capabilities.

Cooper is credited with inventing many tools and approaches used in design, including the Goal-Directed Design method and personas as a practical interaction design tool, Wipro said. It employs 35 people in offices in San Francisco and New York and provides consulting and training services to top brands including Fortune 500 companies, leading non-profits and government agencies.

The company will become part of Designit, Wipro’s strategic design arm.

“Designit and Cooper are a perfect match. Both companies are passionate about creating products, experiences, and systems that matter and are high-impact and strategic. As a combined force with Wipro, we’ll take our clients to new places, and help them think like a startup again,” Mikal Hallstrup, Designit's Founder and Global CEO, said in a statement.

Cooper reported revenue of $8.3 million on 2016, Wipro said in a BSE filing.

The acquisition is expected to be completed during the third quarter of fiscal 2017-18.