5 September 2022
• Focus on the growing Swiss market
• Strong know-how of Ironforge in end-to-end digitalisation
• Expansion of ]init[ will be continued
]init[ AG für digitale Kommunikation, a portfolio company of the investment companies Rivean Capital and EMERAM CAPITAL PARTNERS, is expanding its international public sector business with the acquisition of the Swiss company Ironforge Consulting AG. The transaction, effective 1 September 2022, has now been successfully completed. The aim is to expand into the Swiss market as well as to further develop the portfolio for end-to-end digitalisation solutions. ]init[, with more than 800 employees, is considered one of the leading project service providers in the field of digital transformation.
Since 1 September 2022, ]init[ holds 100 per cent of the shares in Swiss IT consulting firm Ironforge. Ironforge Consulting AG is an established player in the Swiss market since 2009 with 35 employees. The company’s customers include a large number of Swiss federal ministries. In addition, Ironforge also works for administration-related companies such as the Swiss Post and Swisscom. Among other things, Ironforge has been involved in the development of a Swiss ePortal for the administration.
The partnership will further strengthen Ironforge’s position in its core markets in Switzerland and enable Ironforge to accompany the Swiss administration along the entire digitalisation process. The company is preparing itself for growing demand for holistic digitalisation in the public sector and creating offerings for the consistent introduction and optimisation of front-end and back-end solutions.
The current management team of Ironforge – led by CEO and founder Gianni Lepore and COO Roberto Santovito – will accompany the further development of the company. Both will remain shareholders in the company in order to drive forward the expansion of Ironforge together with ]init[. Meanwhile, Harald Felling, CEO of ]init[ AG, will join the board of directors of Ironforge Consulting AG.
Matthias Wilcken, Senior Partner at Rivean Capital, comments: “We invested in ]init[ to support management in building a leading digital services platform for the public sector. The acquisition of Ironforge is a first important milestone of the company’s international expansion strategy and this is a unique opportunity for both companies to join forces. With our international approach and long-standing experience with buy-and-build strategies, we will continue to support management in identifying and acting on further M&A opportunities.”
Harald Felling, CEO of ]init[ AG, explains: “Ironforge and we are united by a matching culture, a very similar DNA and a strong focus on public administration. We are therefore pleased that we can promote Ironforge with our long-term experience in end-to-end digitalisation in the public sector and support it in its further growth. In this way, we want to help shape the digital transformation of Switzerland’s likewise federally organised administration.”
Gianni Lepore, founder and CEO of Ironforge Consulting AG, adds: “With ]init[ as an experienced partner, Ironforge will continue its success story with even more power. We want to significantly expand our range and scope of services in order to provide our customers with even better support for IT projects and digitalisation projects. In pursuing this goal, we aim to become a central driver of user-centred digitalisation for the Swiss administration.”
The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. ]init[ was advised by Noerr and Wenger Plattner (legal) and BDO (financial, tax).
About ]init[ AG für digitale Kommunikation
]init[ AG für digitale Kommunikation is one of the leading full-service providers for digital projects in Germany. The company employs more than 800 people (FTE) in Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich and Mainz.
With fee revenues of over 138 million euros, ]init[ is one of the ten fastest-growing Internet agencies, according to the BVDW 2022 ranking. In the ranking of providers of digital experience services by Lünendonk & Hossenfelder, ]init[ ranked 13th in 2021 as a “rising star” with an improvement.
The more than 500 customers of ]init[ include the Press and Information Office of the German Federal Government as well as numerous federal and state ministries, Continental AG, BSH Hausgeräte and Heidelberg Cement.
For more information, please visit www.init.de
About Ironforge Consulting AG
Ironforge Consulting AG is an independent IT consulting company based in Muri near Bern, Switzerland, and a subsidiary of ]init[ AG für digitale Kommunikation based in Berlin, Germany, since September 2022. The Ironforge management team consists of Gianni Lepore (founder and CEO) and Roberto Santovito (COO). They are the first contact persons for all matters.
In the key areas of Project Services and Business Services, Ironforge supports its clients from the planning and conception to the implementation of their ICT projects. The consultants are, among others, experienced IT project managers, business analysts and multi-skilled IT experts.
In addition to numerous Swiss federal offices and various cantons, clients also include administration-related companies. Ironforge currently employs 35 people and was founded in 2009.
For more information, please visit www.ironforge.ch
About Rivean Capital
Rivean Capital is a pioneer in the European private equity market with 40 years of experience in the strategic development of market-leading, medium-sized companies in growth markets. Since its founding in 1982 under the name “Gilde Buy Out Partners”, the fund has completed more than 250 platform investments and currently manages assets of more than three billion euros on behalf of institutional investors worldwide.
With a strong regional presence in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy, Rivean Capital pursues a pan-European investment strategy. It successfully implements tailor-made growth strategies, in particular international expansion strategies, extensive investment projects in new products and markets, and acquisitions as part of buy-and-build strategies. Rivean Capital sees itself as an entrepreneurial partner of its portfolio companies for an active business transformation to further improve competitiveness and to sustainably increase value.
For more information, please visit www.riveancapital.com
Media contact Rivean Capital:
Maikel Wieland: Tel.: +41 (0)43 268 20 78 | Email: ir@riveancapital.com
Media contact ]init[ AG für digitale Kommunikation:
Sascha Lansmann: Tel.: +49 (0)30 97006 759 | Email: sascha.lansmann@init.de