DataByte, a renowned IT service provider based in Steenbergen, is joining Interstellar, a group of generalist and specialist IT companies. Hogenhouck M&A advised John Heijnen and John de Jongh, the owner-managers of DataByte, on this sale.
Major IT player in the southwestern Netherlands
Over the course of more than thirty years, DataByte has grown into a major IT player with two locations in the southwestern Netherlands. DataByte has a team of 85 dedicated IT specialists, 450 clients, and holds a strong position in the healthcare sector, the manufacturing industry, the business services sector, and the SME segment.
Ambition to double in size
DataByte was founded in 1987 by John Heijnen. The executive board now consists of John Heijnen, John de Jongh, and Peter Bijker. The executive board will remain with the company and will hold a stake in Interstellar. The IT service provider aims to double its annual revenue to 40 million euros and expand the number of branches in the southwestern Netherlands to six.
Guiding clients on their digital journey
CEO John Heijnen is optimistic about the future: “In a market where technological developments are unfolding at breakneck speed—particularly in the areas of cybersecurity and the cloud—we want to stay ahead of the curve. As part of Interstellar, we can continue and strengthen our entrepreneurial spirit with a broad range of high-quality expertise and IT specializations. This enables us to continue supporting our clients at the very highest level on their digital journey, in which adoption, security, and innovation are becoming even more important. Our goal is to remain the most relevant IT service provider in the southwest of the Netherlands.”
Interstellar: A Giant Leap
In February 2021, six successful companies in the IT sector joined forces under the Interstellar Group banner, creating a new major IT service provider with nationwide coverage in the Netherlands. Interstellar consists of a collection of IT service providers, each with its own identity: Solimas, Exite ICT, and CSN Group, as well as specialists in cloud and security—Fundaments, DataExpert, and Pinewood. DataByte has now been added to this group.
Interstellar has a total of more than 500 employees and generates revenue of over 120 million euros. CEO Maarten van Montfoort: “DataByte is a renowned managed services provider (MSP) serving top-tier small and medium-sized businesses and a market leader in the wider region. From the very beginning, we’ve made it clear that we’re pursuing a strong buy-and-build strategy, because we want to quickly grow into one of the larger players in the market. We’re very proud that DataByte wants to be part of this amazing adventure.”
