FortyAU and Ronin Expand Their Presence and AI Capabilities By Combining Digital Engineering Practices in Highly Regulated Industries

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- FortyAU, a Nashville-based digital engineering and AI solutions firm serving clients in highly regulated industries, today announced its acquisition of Ronin Consulting, a Nashville-based software engineering and AI development firm. The transaction brings together two engineer-founded companies with complementary client portfolios, a shared culture of technical innovation, and a common commitment to long-term client partnerships. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded and led by engineers, Ronin Consulting has built a reputation for delivering complex software, modernization, and AI-enabled engineering programs to premier enterprise clients across healthcare, financial services, and defense. The company's experienced leadership team and embedded account management model have produced a portfolio of deep, multi-year client relationships built on trusted delivery and expanding scope of work.

"Ronin is exactly the kind of firm we wanted to partner with for future growth," said Logan Buchanan, Founder of FortyAU. "They're engineer-led, they're trusted by the most sophisticated customers in industries where delivery quality matters, and they've shown they can grow client relationships into strategic partnerships over time. The cultural fit is unusually strong, and the capabilities they add — especially in AI and data — line up directly with where our clients are heading."

Strategic rationale

Since partnering with Atlanta based private equity firm, ASH Investment Partners, in November of 2025, FortyAU has been focused on key initiatives including best in class customer service, employee retention, and technical acumen in highly regulated industries. The new partnership between FortyAU and Ronin will build on these initiatives:

• Expanded AI and data capabilities: Ronin brings hands-on experience designing and delivering AI-enabled applications, data pipelines, and modern software architectures, strengthening FortyAU's ability to guide clients through their next wave of technology transformation.
  
  
• Technical talent: Ronin's team is led by experienced engineers capable of taking on complex enterprise programs end-to-end, expanding the combined organization's capacity to deliver larger, more sophisticated engagements.
  
  
• Mature account management discipline: Ronin operates with a technical account management model in which senior leaders own each major client relationship, understand the customer's roadmap, and proactively identify opportunities to expand — complementing FortyAU's existing client-facing organization.
  
  
• Premier healthcare digital engineering platform in Nashville: Both firms are headquartered in Nashville and serve clients across the region's dense healthcare provider, services, and technology ecosystem. The combined platform expands FortyAU's local engineering base and reinforces its position as a leading digital engineering partner to the healthcare industry.

"Across our client base, we focus on long-term partnerships with the largest, most sophisticated clients in industries where reliability, security, and engineering quality are non-negotiable," said Andrew Kerr, CEO of FortyAU. "Ronin shares that mindset, and they've earned the trust of premier buyers in healthcare, financial services, and defense. We're thrilled to welcome the Ronin team — they make us measurably better at what we do."

Ronin's leadership team will continue in their roles within the combined organization.

"From our first conversation with the FortyAU team, the alignment was obvious," said Byron McClain, CEO of Ronin Consulting. "Both companies were started by engineers, both put delivery quality first, and both believe in earning long-term relationships with clients in industries where technical expertise is paramount. Partnering with FortyAU gives our team a bigger platform, our clients a deeper bench, and our engineers more opportunities to work on the complex, AI-driven problems they do best."

About FortyAU

FortyAU is a Nashville-based digital engineering firm that partners with clients in highly regulated industries — including healthcare, financial services, and beyond — to design, build, and modernize the technology that underpins their businesses. Learn more at fortyau.com.

About Ronin Consulting

Ronin Consulting is a Nashville-based software engineering and AI development firm delivering custom application development, modernization, and AI-enabled solutions to enterprise clients across healthcare, financial services, and defense. Learn more at ronin.consulting.

About ASH Investment Partners

ASH Investment Partners is the majority investor in FortyAU. ASH partners with founder-led businesses to support long-term growth through strategic capital, operational expertise, and a long-term orientation. Learn more at ashvx.com.

Representation

Ronin Consulting was advised by Envoy Advisors, with legal counsel provided by Bradley Arant. ASH Investment Partners and FortyAU received legal counsel from Nelson Mullins. First Horizon provided financing and was represented by Polsinelli.

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SOURCE ASH Investment Partners, LLC