Blue4IT, Codesquad and Bluefront to Adesso

The German listed company adesso has obtained a majority share in three Dutch software development companies. This was announced by acquisition consultant Marktlink, since recently also located in Germany. The companies Blue4IT, Codesquad and Bluefront, which were part of Blue Group IT, focus on the development of front-end and back-end software applications for banks, various multinationals, government institutions, and more. The managing directors of Blue4IT, Codesquad and Bluefront will remain involved with a minority share.

Adesso was established in Dortmund in 1997, and has grown into an international IT service provider over the last 20 years. The German listed company has more than 4,200 employees and achieved a turnover of EUR 449.7 million in 2019. From locations spread across Europe and beyond, adesso offers consulting and software development services for business process optimisation and subsequent cost reductions. Adesso also offers sector-specific software solutions. The company has been awarded ‘best German employer’ multiple times in the IT sector category.

Internationalisation with a local footprint is part of adesso’s growth strategy. This strategy saw the establishment of adesso Netherlands B.V. in July 2019, with managing director Jan Heuker at the helm. Adesso wants to further increase its footprint in the Dutch IT market with the acquisition of Blue4IT, Codesquad and Bluefront.

These three companies are comprehensively specialised in front-end, back-end, and architecture with Java. Adesso and Blue Group IT joining forces results in an excellent symbiosis in which both parties can benefit from each other’s knowledge and expertise.

Heuker: “The collaboration between adesso and Blue4IT, Codesquad and Bluefront is promising, mainly because we share important core values: quality and a human focus. This is conveyed in a string selection policy, extensive development opportunities for employees, and high level of knowledge and experience, and challenging projects for interesting customers. A successful cooperation and future lie ahead of us.”

Fredrik Jonker: “the IT sector is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the Netherlands and still very fragmented at the same time. The digitisation exercise is still in full swing and will continue for years, programmers are scarce though, and it is difficult for IT companies to find good people. Adesso has been one of the fastest-developing IT companies in Germany for years; good recruitment, appealing employers, and interesting clients are important contributors to this success. This formula will accelerate adesso’s growth, additional acquisitions cannot be ruled out.”