MBO & Co completes the sale of its stake in emagine to the Danish group ProData Consult, backed by Axcel Partners

On November 30, 2021, MBO & Co completed the sale of emagine to the Danish ProData Consult Group, majority owned by Axcel Partners. The managers reinvest partially in the transaction and join the common project of developing a European leader.

emagine is a consulting firm with several areas of excellence (IT applications, digital, marketing, engineering, and cybersecurity) capable of delivering its clients’ innovative projects with tailor-made solutions combining industry-specific skills and technological expertise. The group has 14 offices in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and India, and runs a network of more than 1,150 consultants, the vast majority of whom are freelancers, delivering projects in more than 24 countries.

Since its carve-out in 2015 from the German group GFT and under the leadership of its management team supported by MBO & Co, emagine has doubled in size from c.86 M€ in turnover to c.163 M€ in 2021 by leveraging on its portfolio of more than 250 loyal key accounts and by accelerating its international development.

ProData is a digital transformation consulting group specialized in the identification of IT experts and established in very complementary geographies (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Netherlands). The merger of the two groups will create a unique leading European platform dedicated to deliver high-end services to its clients. The combined group will represent €440 million in revenues by 2021 and a network of nearly 3,300 consultants worldwide.

Eric Dejoie, President & Partner at MBO & Co, said: “For MBO & Co, emagine is emblematic in many ways: an original carve-out context that revealed the company’s potential and freed up its energies, a high-level and cohesive management team led by Jean-François Bodin, with a remarkable growth track record. Following this exceptional track record, we are pleased to support this very promising merger between emagine and ProData to create a unique platform on a European scale.”

Jean-François Bodin, Chairman of emagine, said: “I would like to thank MBO & Co’s team for having contributed to the development of emagine during these 6 years of collaboration. As is often the case, it’s a story of encounters. And the one with the MBO & Co team was decisive in allowing this project to come to fruition. The connection with ProData’s team opens a new chapter that promises to be just as exciting.