Strategic Merger: SmarTek21 Teams Up with IT Avalon to Enhance Global Innovation

SmarTek21 and IT Avalon: A Strategic Partnership

On May 29, 2025, Tortuga Growth Partners announced a significant merger between SmarTek21, a prominent artificial intelligence-driven product engineering firm, and IT Avalon, a renowned technology consulting company. This strategic combination marks SmarTek21's second merger within a span of six months and aims to enhance its capabilities while broadening its client base internationally.

Founded in 2006, SmarTek21 specializes in custom product engineering and enterprise modernization services across various complex sectors, including financial services, healthcare, and telecommunications. The firm has built a reputation for providing agile solutions that facilitate critical business automation. On the other hand, IT Avalon, established in 2012, has been delivering top-notch digital engineering and software development solutions for enterprise clients, boasting a remarkable client retention rate of 95%.

With IT Avalon’s extensive experience in serving highly regulated industries such as financial services, gaming, and hospitality, this merger presents SmartTek21 the opportunity to expand its influence in new sectors while fortifying its existing strengths in core areas of healthcare and finance.

The merger signifies operational growth, as SmarTek21 will now be functioning with over 650 associates positioned globally, including locations in the United States, India, and South Africa. This global network will enable SmarTek21 to provide design-driven, customized products that meet the specific needs of clients in multiple complex industries.

Al Lalji, the Founder and CEO of SmarTek21, expressed enthusiasm about the future of the company post-merger, stating, "IT Avalon brings our engineering and digital transformation capabilities to the next level. Our clients now have access to additional engineering experts.” He believes that the merger sets the stage for growth and innovation, offering clients enhanced services that are responsive to current market demands.

The strategic entry into gaming, travel, and hospitality sectors is particularly advantageous, given IT Avalon’s established relationships with clients in these industries. "This partnership strengthens our foothold within our core industries and enables a new industry-focused go-to-market strategy," explained Scott Heath, EVP of US GTM-Strategy and Sales at SmarTek21.

The collaboration also allows SmarTek21 to position itself as a market leader in custom product engineering, a segment that is pivotal for enterprise transformation in today’s digital landscape. Entrepreneurs Manjan DeMonte and members from both companies highlighted the importance of trusted partnerships and execution-ready teams, affirming that this merger brings top-tier technical talent essential for innovative solutions.

Tortuga Growth Partners, based in New York, supports such strategic consolidations, aiming to accelerate growth and expand market presence for its portfolio companies. Ashray Prasad, Managing Member at the firm, noted that the quick progression to a new phase of collaboration illustrates the momentum that SmarTek21 has gained within the market.

Both firms are now geared to leverage their capabilities, pioneering new industry standards while ensuring their clients access cutting-edge solutions. As digital transformation continues to evolve at a rapid pace, the SmarTek21 and IT Avalon partnership sets the foundations for a bright future, enabling them to meet the demands of an increasingly complex global landscape.

For more information on SmarTek21, visit www.smartek21.com. Learn about IT Avalon at www.itavalon.com and discover more about Tortuga Growth Partners at www.tortugagrowthpartners.com.