28. Januar 2025

Starting the year with a strategic acquisition: Elovade is acquiring Italian security distributor Avangate

Wetzlar, January 28, 2025 – Elovade, one of Europe’s leading value-added distributors, and private equity investors HQ Equita and Verdane have announced their acquisition of Avangate. By acquiring the Italian security distributor, the Elovade Group is expanding its portfolio of IT security solutions while supplementing the existing infrastructure expertise of Elovade Italia (formerly ACHAB). In 2021, HQ Equita already supported the company with the establishment of a branch in Switzerland and the integration of the German IT security distributor 8Soft; further successful M&A projects followed with the acquisitions of Italian MSP distributor ACHAB and Swedish VAD Innosoft in 2022, as well as the most recent acquisition of Swedish distributor Inuit AB last year.

Security Expertise from Avangate
Milan-based VAD Avangate has established itself on the Italian market with premium security solutions from manufacturers such as Bitdefender, Acronis, Kaspersky, and AVD Avast. As a competence center for IT security, the company provides its services with a team of twelve experts and a network of over 2,500 active partners in Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, and the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Avangate supports international companies, public administrations, and SMEs with their IT security requirements. With a strong focus on partner qualification and consulting expertise, the company has succeeded in consolidating its position as the leading security distributor in the region in recent years.

Acquisition Bolsters Growth Course
The acquisition of Avangate will allow Elovade to almost double its Italian business in terms of revenue, while making efficient use of its resources. Elovade partners will also be able to access to an even broader and more solution-oriented IT portfolio that intelligently combines infrastructure and security solutions. The Milan site will act as the strategic base for the further development of the Italian distribution business.

Philip Weber, CEO of Elovade, explains: “The acquisition of Avangate is a strategic milestone for our growth strategy on the Italian market. We will be able to offer an even more comprehensive solution portfolio in the future by combining our existing strengths in IT security and IT infrastructure with Avangate’s leading position in the Italian security segment.”

Claude Sarkis, Co-CEO of Avangate Security, states: “For us and our team at Avangate, this step is not just a strategic decision, but also a moment of pride. In recent years, we have shown passion in developing a strong partner network and establishing the name of Avangate as a reliable IT security partner in the region. Thanks to this merger, we will be significantly expanding our position as the leading value-added distributor in Italy.”

Riccardo Ottolina, Co-CEO of Avangate Security, adds: “By combining the expertise of both companies, our goal will be to create a unique IT security offering for our partners. The merger with Elovade now opens new opportunities for us to strengthen this base still further and offer our partners even more value. Together we will drive the channel in Italy forward with innovative solutions and combined expertise.”

History: HQ Equita and Verdane
HQ Equita has been a part of the Elovade success story since 2019. In Verdane, the value-added distributor obtained another financially strong and experienced partner at the beginning of 2024. Together with these two investors, Elovade Managing Directors Philip Weber and Marcus Zeidler are continuing to pursue the Group’s proven growth strategy.

Transaction Advisors Involved
HQ Equita and Elovade were advised on the Avangate transaction by the law firms Watson Farley & Williams (legal and TDD), Singular Group AG (CDD), and BDO (FDD).

About Elovade
Elovade is one of the leading value-added software distributors in Europe, with a particular focus on IT security and cloud services. With 150 experts in Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland, Elovade supports thousands of IT service providers and system houses throughout Europe in selling and implementing software. Partners benefit from a comprehensive range of services, which covers everything from training courses, workshops, and a digital learning platform to audits and on-site integration in collaboration with our partners. In addition, Elovade supports software providers in launching new products in Europe with appropriate marketing and distribution strategies and therefore ensures consistently growing brand familiarity in the channel.

www.elovade.com I www.elovade.com/de-ch I www.elovade.it I www.elovade.com/sv | www.inuit.se

Press Contact

riba:businesstalk GmbH
Julia Griebel
Klostergut Besselich
56182 Urbar – Koblenz, Germany
Tel.: +49 (261) 96 37 57-12
Email: jgriebel@riba.eu
Web: www.riba.eu

ELOVADE Deutschland GmbH
Alexander Hassel
Garbenheimer Str. 36
35578 Wetzlar, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)6441 67118-398
Email: alexander.hassel@elovade.com
Web: www.elovade.com