Axcel has agreed to acquire a majority stake in IT company Conscia, which supplies and services business-critical IT infrastructure, from a consortium of shareholders that includes Via Venture Partners. Management will continue to hold a significant part of the company’s shares.
In a few short years, Conscia – which recorded sales of approx. DKK 550 million in the last financial year – has become one of the most important players in the market for large network solutions and won recognition as the strongest integrator of Cisco hardware. Cisco is the world’s leading producer of networking and data centre equipment and focuses, like Conscia, on developing integrated solutions that are the foundations for all of the client’s IT.
“Three years ago, Via Venture Partners spotted the strength and potential of Conscia’s business model and organisation,” says Mogens Bransholm, Conscia’s CEO. “It was great to have this vote of confidence, and we worked extremely well together. We’re delighted that Axcel has now chosen to get behind our continued growth plans.”
“We’ve established ourselves as the leading supplier of IT infrastructure and service solutions to the largest private and public players in Denmark, and our acquisition of Swedish Cisco Gold Partner Netsafe means that we’re also now active in Sweden. Axcel’s considerable resources will help us realise our ambitious growth plans, which include operating even more internationally.”
Axcel: Conscia has exciting growth potential
Axcel is very positive about the outlook for the IT market and about Conscia’s strong market position, which is expected to spur further rapid growth in the Company.
“Conscia has shown how to create growth through strong client focus, technological expertise and an unrivalled service solution,” says Christian Bamberger Bro, partner at Axcel. “Conscia has considerable potential across Scandinavia, and we look forward to rolling out its successful model throughout the region.”
“Today, end-customers are very demanding in terms of their IT infrastructure, which needs to be globally accessible 24/7, including from mobile devices. Demand for network and cloud solutions is growing, and businesses are highly dependent on these systems. Conscia is currently the strongest partner in the market and also a very well-run company with a strong culture, so we have high hopes for our investment.”
Via Venture Partners: Conscia ready for the next phase
“Conscia has been a relatively short-lived but very successful investment for Via Venture Partners,” says Jakob Rybak-Andersen, partner at Via Venture Partners. “We’ve achieved a lot, and Conscia is now ready for the next stage in its journey. Conscia has an incredibly strong management team, and it’s been a pleasure to work closely with them and the rest of the board on developing the company, including the move into the Swedish market.”
The agreement is subject to approval from the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority.
About Axcel
Founded in 1994 by a group of investors from Denmark’s largest financial and industrial institutions, Axcel is a Nordic private equity firm focusing on mid-market companies and has a broad base of both Danish and international investors. It has raised four funds with total committed capital of around DKK 10 billion and has made more than 40 investments along with 50 significant bolt-on acquisitions. So far more than 30 of the companies in which it has invested have been sold or floated. Axcel’s investments currently include 12 portfolio companies, representing combined revenue of some DKK 7 billion and around 5,000 employees.
www.axcel.dk
About Conscia
Conscia A/S supplies IT infrastructure solutions and 24/7 network, data centre and mobility support. Headquartered in Denmark, the company has also moved into Sweden this year through the acquisition of Netsafe International AB.
Conscia A/S generated sales of DKK 550 million and net profit of more than DKK 46 million in the 2013/14 financial year.
www.conscia.dk
About Via Venture Partners
Via Venture Partners A/S is a leading Nordic private equity firm focusing on technology and service companies. Its two funds are both subsidiaries of Danish pension fund ATP, which has put up 99.8% of their share capital (DKK 2 billion in total), the remainder coming from Via Venture Partners’ employees. Via Venture Partners A/S is the management company for the two funds, which invest either alone (primarily in small and medium-sized companies with revenue of DKK 75-750 million) or together with ATP (primarily larger deals). ATP has assets of DKK 704 billion.
For more information:
Axcel
Christian Bamberger Bro, Partner
Tel.: +45 4099 3939
E-mail: cbb@axcel.dk
Christian Frigast, Managing Partner
Tel.: +45 2632 6400
E-mail: cf@axcel.dk
Conscia A/S
Mogens Bransholm, CEO
Tel.: +45 2343 8328
E-mail: mb@conscia.dk
Dorthe Dahlin Irvold, Communications Director
Tel.: +45 2042 9611 E-mail: di@conscia.dk
Via Venture Partners
Jakob Rybak-Andersen, Partner
Tel: +45 2940 1719
E-mail: jra@viaventurepartners.com