3i-backed Evernex, a global international provider of third-party maintenance (“TPM”) services for data centre infrastructure in which 3i invested in October 2019, announces the acquisition of Technogroup, the leading TPM player in the DACH region. As part of the transaction, Technogroup’s management and its shareholder Vitruvian Partners, a leading growth equity firm with a global presence, will rollover a significant investment into the combined group. 3i will invest €47m of additional capital to finance the transaction, with Evernex’s management team also reinvesting €2m. The transaction remains subject to clearance from the relevant antitrust authorities.
Headquartered in Hochheim, near Frankfurt, Germany, Technogroup was founded in 1990 and is the leading TPM player in the DACH region and Poland, with strong brand recognition, best-in-class service, valued expertise in data centre maintenance and value-add services for data centres. The company serves over 5,200 customers with 290 employees and over 50 service centres in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Poland. Technogrouphas quadrupled in size over the past ten years through a mix of organic growth and acquisitions.
With Technogroup, Evernex reinforces its presence in the DACH and Central Europe with a highly reputable team. The combined group will be uniquely positioned to assist its customers providing a single point of contact on a truly global basis in datacentre maintenance services, with an especially strong footprint across Europe, Latin America and MEA.
Rémi Carnimolla, Partner, at 3i France: “With the acquisition of Technogroup, Evernex reinforces its status as a successful consolidation platform. This is already the second acquisition since October 2019 following Storex in South Africa four months ago.”
Frédéric Chiche, Director, and Marc Ohayon, Associate Director: “In the context of the COVID19 pandemic and tight lockdowns in both France and Germany, we are proud of having achieved this transaction. It is a significant step up to leadership in the sector and a transformative event in the TPM space.”
Stanislas Pilot, President and CEO of Evernex: “This combination offers fantastic growth prospects. Thanks to the backing of the 3i balance sheet and the strong performance of Evernex during the current pandemic, confirming the high resilience of the company’s business, and to Vitruvian Partners’ significant rollover alongside us, the new group will have unique capabilities to enter new markets and better serve its international clients and OEM partners. We are excited to welcome the Technogroup team to the Evernex family and we are confident in both teams’ commitment to excellence in building a solidly integrated group, providing best-in-class services for our customers.”
Torsten Winkler, Partner, and Fabian Wasmus, Partner, at Vitruvian: “When Vitruvian invested in Technogroup in December 2017, the business had great fundamentals and double-digit growth. With our backing, the company established itself as one of the European champions in TPM services, notably with three acquisitions that expanded the group’s geographic presence and equipment expertise. We are convinced that joining forces with Evernex will bring tremendous value to both companies and help build a true global leader.”
Klaus Stöckert, CEO of Technogroup: “The fit between Technogroup and Evernex is strong, both in terms of strategic sense and common DNA between our teams. We are aligned in the strategic ambition to be the single point of contact for our customers and partners. By joining forces, we will be able to assist our customers in more geographies thanks to Evernex’s global footprint and by offering more equipment expertise. Our teams have known each other for years. We are excited by this opportunity to join Evernex and to do much more together in the same group.”
3i invested in Evernex in October 2019. Headquartered in Paris, France, Evernex maintains over 200,000 IT systems in c. 160 countries, and has a global network of 34 offices. It is the preferred maintenance partner for multinational companies and has developed a multi-channel and multi-vendor flexible offering. In March 2020, Evernex acquired Storex, a South African provider of maintenance services for critical data centre equipment, thus reinforcing its leadership in MEA.
For further information, contact:
3i Group plc
Silvia Santoro Investor enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7975 3258
Email: silvia.santoro@3i.com
Kathryn van der Kroft Media enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7975 3021
Email: kathryn.vanderkroft@3i.com
Vitruvian Partners
Nadia Preston Investor enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7518 2875
Email: nadia.preston@vitruvianpartners.com
Siobhan Loftus Media enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7518 2800
Email: siobhan.loftus@vitruvianpartners.com
About 3i Group
3i is an investment company with two complementary businesses, Private Equity and Infrastructure, specialising in core investment markets in Northern Europe and North America.
3i’s Private Equity team provides investment solutions for growing companies, backing entrepreneurs and management teams of mid-market companies with an EV typically between €100m – €500m. We back international growth plans, providing access to our network and expertise to accelerate the growth of companies across the consumer, industrial, healthcare and business and technology services industries.
For further information, please visit: www.3i.com
About Vitruvian Partners
Vitruvian Partners is an international growth equity firm headquartered in London with offices across London, Stockholm, Munich, Luxembourg, San Francisco and Shanghai.
Vitruvian focuses on dynamic situations characterized by rapid growth and change across asset-light industries. Vitruvian funds have c.€5bn AUM and have backed a number of market leaders in their field such as Just Eat, Farfetch, Skyscanner, Marqeta, Deposit Solutions, doctari, Dental Monitoring, Vestiaire Collective and others.
For further information, please visit: www.vitruvianpartners.com.
Regulatory information
This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc, advised by 3i France.