Eshgro and Avensus join forces and strengthen position in the Dutch market

12 January 2022 –  Two of our portfolio companies, the IT service providers Eshgro and Avensus, have announced that they are merged on 30 December 2021. The merger, made possible by Holland Capital, will create a nationwide modern workplace specialist, exceptional in the field of cloud security and specialised security services. The new organisation will have more than 300 specialists and offices in Almere, Apeldoorn, Arnhem, Boxmeer, Breda, Delft and Weert.

Digital transformation partner
Eshgro is a cloud service provider and modern workplace specialist which offers organisations a smarter workplace through its innovative Smarter 365 platform, enabling them to work with measurably increased speed, ease and security. Avensus provides its clients with expertise in the field of cloud and specialised security: from transition to the cloud, managed services, information security and IT auditing to specialised cyber security such as encryption and ethical hacking.

Avensus’ cloud and managed security activities will be merged with those of Eshgro and continue under the name Eshgro. “The merger of Avensus’ cloud activities with those of Eshgro will create a powerful, leading cloud service provider, which will guide organisations through their digital transformation towards the modern workplace,” says Abram Schermer, CEO of Avensus. “It will enable Avensus’ customers to benefit from the capabilities of the Smarter 365 platform, giving them an advantage in the field of Microsoft cloud technology and working in the cloud.”

Specialised services in audit and assurance, and high grade security, will continue to operate under the name Avensus but will become part of the new organisation. “During their digital transformation, organisations face major challenges in the areas of document management, security and compliance. Our customers can now benefit from the knowledge and experience that Avensus’ security specialists have in this area,” explains Anton Loeffen, Director and founder of Eshgro.

Growth ambitions
“By merging with Avensus, we have become one of the largest modern workplace specialists for SMEs in the Dutch market,” adds Edwin de Ruijter, CEO of Eshgro. “We are able to relieve organisations from the burden of cloud services, security and compliance. Our ambition for the coming years is to increase our turnover to 100 million euros, both independently and through acquisitions. We can only achieve this if we have enough qualified personnel, so we will be recruiting several dozen new employees in the coming year.”

Holland Capital is actively involved in both organisations as a shareholder in Avensus and Eshgro. “The Dutch IT market is changing rapidly,” says Hubert Verbeek, managing partner at Holland Capital. “We foresee consolidation and an increasing importance of continued automation in modern workplace management. Customers need a leading and powerful partner who can help them in their digital transformation. The merger is therefore a logical step.”

The new management team will consist of Edwin de Ruijter (CEO), Abram Schermer (CCO), Anton Loeffen (CTO), Kees van Diepen (COO) and Koen van Hoof (CFO).