The Odin Group subsidiary, Previder Belgium, acquired AppSys ICT Group as part of its local consolidation ploy.
After acquiring Odin Group from Fortino Capital in February 2022, Seven2 (formerly Apax Partners in Europe) stated that it aimed to support the group’s ambitions to become the leading cloud managed service provider (MSP) in the region through M&A. This ambition is also the driving force behind Previder Group’s recent expansion in the Belgian IT sector, with the AppSys deal building on the company’s earlier acquisitions of 2invision and Assyst Europe.
“Belgium is an important growth market for Previder,” notes Odin Group CEO Arno Witvliet. He explains that the deal adds AppSys’s broad IT services portfolio, deep knowledge of the Belgian market, scale and strong customer relationships to the broader organisation.
“This aligns well with the way we want to grow: through local expertise, entrepreneurship and a focus on long-term relationships.”
AppSys ICT Group was founded in 2012, when Kris Nijs and Werner Jans joined forces to start a new venture after working closely together for more than five years through their own companies (Business IT Solutions and JANS ICT Consulting). Over the years, the company has grown from a small operation in Peer to a full-service IT organisation with an additional location in Houthalen, building a strong market position backed by deep technical expertise, high-quality IT project delivery, Gold and Platinum vendor partnerships and recognition as one of Limburg's fastest-growing companies (Trends Gazelle).
AppSys’s current management team will remain closely involved. Kris will become managing director of Previder Belgium, while Werner will take on the role of director of transformation within the group. In these roles, they will help further develop the Belgian Previder organisation.
Kris says Previder closely aligns with his team's ambitions and working culture. “By becoming part of Previder, we can support our customers across an even broader range of IT needs while continuing to build on the expertise, relationships and quality that define AppSys,” he concludes.
Investec served as the buy-side adviser to Odin Group and Previder Belgium, leveraging its existing relationships to initiate introductions and arrange initial meetings between the parties. Investec’s Benelux deal team (led by director Maurits Odekerken alongside Jesper de Voijs and Jesse Molenaar) provided strategic guidance, process coordination and transaction support to bring the acquisition to a successful close.
