Pliezhausen/Duesseldorf, August 16, 2017. IT service provider DATAGROUP (WKN A0JC8S) acquires Düsseldorf-based ikb Data GmbH, a specialist for IT outsourcing and data security. With the third acquisition within 13 months, DATAGOUP continues to massively expand its core business with high-quality Cloud services and IT operation services, in particular in the financial sector. In the future, ikb Data is to bundle and advance DATAGROUP’s activities in the banking and financial industry as an internal centre of excellence. The management board expects additional growth potential and increases its earnings outlook for the current fiscal year.

ikb Data was founded in 2004 as a shared service centre of IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG and, as a subsidiary of the financial group, ensures its reliable and secure IT operations. Meanwhile, numerous customers from other industries benefit from the many years of experience in dealing with a bank’s sensitive data. ikb Data’s special expertise is documented by many relevant certificates, e.g. ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 as well as ISAE 3402. ikb Data has 73 employees and generated revenues of over EUR 27m in the last fiscal year 2016/2017 (01.04.2016 – 31.03.2017) at an EBITDA margin that was well in the double-digit range.

“The takeover is a milestone for DATAGROUP”, commented DATAGROUP CEO Max H.-H. Schaber. “We gain a strong and very successful subsidiary providing us with highly interesting industry know-how in the demanding financial sector and with attractive customer relationships. As part of DATAGROUP, ikb Data in turn benefits from our full-service offer and economies of scale, for instance due to the relocation of its data centres to the state-of-the-art DATAGROUP Data Center. What is more, services such as the Service Desk, which had to be bought from third parties so far, will be rendered internally by DATAGROUP. This will make ikb Data even more attractive for customers and stakeholders, whilst the depth of added value is enhanced within the company.”

ikb Data generates most of its revenue with multi-year service contracts. This guarantees high economic stability and very good predictability of income. With this acquisition, DATAGROUP further expands its share of recurring income in revenue. ikb Data supports customers in Germany and Europe from its company headquarters in Düsseldorf. In addition to financial group IKB AG as major customer, the clientele mainly comprises Mittelstand companies. Third-party business with customers outside the IKB group has seen strong growth, recently by over 25%.

This has already been the 20th takeover for DATAGROUP since its IPO in 2006, and the third in the last 13 months. “Our proven expertise and experience in relation to integrating companies greatly helped us to stand up to other renowned prospective buyers”, said Dirk Peters, COO of DATAGROUP SE. “DATAGROUP and ikb Data complement each other very well, and can grow faster together. We look forward to continue DATAGROUP’s track record together with the new colleagues.”

With the sale of ikb Data, IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG continues its strategy to focus on the core business of supporting larger Mittelstand companies with loans, risk management, capital market and advisory services.

ikb Data will operate as independent subsidiary under the umbrella of DATAGROUP. It is planned to consolidate the company in the annual accounts of DATAGROUP SE from September 1.

Due to the successful acquisition and DATAGROUP SE’s very good development of the operating business, the management board also increased its earnings outlook for the current fiscal year 2016/2017 ending September 30. EBITDA is now expected to exceed the present guidance (so far EUR 22 – 23m).

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