German reseller Bechtle AG intends to acquire the French IT system house Apixit, based in Les Ulis, near Paris. As is customary in France, the legally binding conclusion of the purchase agreement is preceded by the hearing of Apixit's employee representatives and the approval of the relevant authorities. With the acquisition, Bechtle would expand its existing portfolio of IT services in the sixth European country after Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. It would be the 110th corporate acquisition in Bechtle's history. With the acquisition by Bechtle, the previous financial investor group would completely withdraw from the company. The current management of Apixit is to remain active in the same function.
Apixit employs around 340 people and achieved a turnover of €85M in the 2021/22 business year. The IT service provider was created in 2018 from the merger of two system integrators, DCI and RETIS, which have been established in the French market for three decades. Apixit has a clear portfolio focus on cybersecurity with over 45% of revenue, including a Security Operations Centre (SOC) for all security-related IT services at organisations or companies. In addition, the company offers IT infrastructure, digital workplace concepts and network solutions as well as comprehensive managed services ranging from consulting and auditing to outsourcing to its more than 1,000 customers in the SME and corporate sectors. Apixit has ten locations in Lille, Issy-les-Moulineaux, Les Ulis (headquarters), Rennes, Quimper, Nantes, Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Maisons-Laffitte.
Strengthened in the French market
Bechtle has been represented in the French market since 2000. Bechtle direct made the start, and in the meantime the subsidiaries Bechtle Comsoft and Inmac Wstore as well as Cadmes have been added. Apixit would complement the existing locations of the Bechtle Group in Paris, Antony, Roissy-en-France, Plessis, Angoulême, Illkirch-Graffenstaden and Sophia Antipolis in the south of France. With this acquisition, Bechtle could further consolidate its position among the five largest IT companies in France. France is the third largest IT market in Europe after Great Britain and Germany. While Bechtle's French subsidiaries will gain access to Apixit's Network Operations Centre (NOC) and Security Operations Centre (SOC) and will also benefit from the company's experience and expertise in managed services and project management, for Apixit the synergies lie in particular in Bechtle's broad customer base and expertise in multi-cloud scenarios. Together with Apixit, the number of employees of the Bechtle Group in France will increase to almost 1200.
Perfect match of two established IT companies
"With Apixit, we are taking the next big step on the way to market leadership in Europe. The excellently managed IT company is an ideal complement to our already pronounced footprint in the French market. Apixit and Bechtle are a perfect match not only in France. We expect a very complementary cooperation across all companies of the Bechtle Group" says Konstantin Ebert, Divisional Board Member for France, Benelux and the UK for Bechtle AG.
Fabrice Tusseau, Chairman of Apixit, concluded: "together with Bechtle, we offer our customers and employees excellent prospects for the future in France and Europe. We complement each other perfectly, pursue similarly ambitious goals and are an excellent cultural fit."