Consulting firm Squerist has attracted Green Park Investment Partners to grow further in its areas of software testing and business transformation. Hogenhouck m&a advised Squerist’s shareholders in this transaction.
Symbiosis between specialists
Green Park is also simultaneously investing in test specialist PTWEE, after already investing in IT service provider and test specialist Bartosz in 2019. This creates a leading partnership in the Dutch software testing market. With this partnership, the three companies create more opportunities for their employees and more opportunities for their customers, while maintaining their full independence. Green Park and the companies share a focus on employees and quality of software testing services. That is why they want to establish strong and autonomous organisations in today’s consolidating industry landscape.
Focus on unique specialism in software testing
Robert Govers and Nils van Schaik joined Squerist in 2004 and expanded the company to more than 100 employees, having offices in Veenendaal, Amsterdam and Maastricht. The company’s long-standing focus on ‘people first’ resulted, among other things, in the ‘Great Place to Work’ certificate (in the top five in 2022!).
Nils van Schaik, managing director of Squerist on this next step together with Green Park: “We clearly see the industry is consolidating, but we don’t believe in ‘mass is cash’. The test specialists at Green Park each offer a unique specialism and culture and we can complement each other. By working together, we are stronger, but also have a broader scope.”
The collaboration of the testing companies will not lead to an integration of the three organisations. The companies are each authentic and want to remain independently focused on their specialisms, with their own people and culture. Together, they will continue to put personal craftsmanship at the centre of their business. However, the three test specialists will complement each other within Green Park, for instance in commercial tenders and in training of employees.
Partnership of strong companies
Green Park believes in the further growth of the software testing market and, by investing in Squerist and PTWEE, is increasing its investment in this specialised sector. This move fits well in the investor’s focus to support entrepreneurs with a strong vision for the future and talented management teams in their growth.
Gijs Marbus, partner at Green Park: “The labour market is extremely tight. Focussing on digitalisation and the quality and skills of people is therefore hugely important. Companies that put the employee first and do justice to the employee are, in my view, the winners in the future. Green Park believes there is a need for partnerships between strong, independent and knowledge-driven companies. This shared vision is strongly present at Squerist, Bartosz as well as PTWEE.”
