Creation of the French champion for Microsoft solutions through the merger of Exakis and Nelite

Exakis Nelite will bring together 500 staff and is the leading Microsoft pure-player partner in France with the ambition of becoming its leading European partner.

Founded in 2001, Exakis is the leader in the integration of Microsoft solutions in France. It is part of the Magellan Partners group, a French mid-size company in Organization Consulting and Information Systems Consulting with specialized IT activities. Thanks to the merger with Nelite, also a pure-player expert in Microsoft infrastructure and security solutions, the new entity, named Exakis Nelite, is the new French champion in Microsoft solutions.

The founders of Nelite, Arnaud Berrebi and Maxence Censier, decided to join forces with Magellan Partners. As part of this merger, Apax Partners Development, which entered the capital in 2016 to support the company’s growth, sold its holding.

Exakis Nelite offers the best of expertise and a complete range of technical, functional and collaborative offers on Microsoft platforms. From the Azure Cloud to user environments, from IT security to collaborative tools and new uses, alongside Data Management and Artificial Intelligence algorithms. In addition to the development of mobile apps to manage connected objects.

The new grouping will offer the most comprehensive range of products on the market and will rely on an ambitious sales plan in all the Group’s territories to strengthen its position.

“Exakis and Nelite are maximizing their complementary business, management, and operations skills, and naturally their expertise to prepare for the challenges of tomorrow: the acceleration of the digital transformation, cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, IoT, data, migration to the Azure Cloud… And all driven by the deep commitment of our employees to provide great value when it comes to the solutions designed for our customers,” said Didier Zeitoun

Strengthen Microsoft Cloud and Security expertise

With the widespread adoption of public and hybrid clouds by businesses, Microsoft’s success in this area and the growing need to secure data, Microsoft’s Cloud and Security offer acts as a structural development avenue for the new entity’s activities.

“The continuous development and success of Microsoft’s Cloud offers, coupled with the complementary nature of Exakis Nelite’s skill bases, means we can rise to the new transformation challenges of our customers. The merger between our companies will allow us to become the leader in France,” said Thierry Rolland, CEO of Exakis.

Exakis Nelite’s expertise in Microsoft technologies is illustrated by the recent nomination of Exakis as Azure Partner of the Year and Nelite’s awarding of Vice-Champion of the World in Security & Compliance.

“Exakis Nelite combines the highest level of expertise with priority given to customer proximity, as seen by the presence of 14 agencies, 11 of which are in France. Both companies share a common corporate culture. Built around people and innovation, it positions Exakis Nelite as an essential stakeholder in the technological and business challenges of the future”,said Maxence Censier, CEO of Nelite.

“Maxence and I are delighted to join the Exakis Nelite Executive Committee. And to contribute all our experience in the service of a French and European conquest strategy” added Arnaud Berrebi, Chairman of Nelite.

“Apax Partners Development is very proud to have supported Nelite’s development. In particular, its organic growth and its expansion outside France. We are convinced that this merger will be a success”, said Olivier Le Gall, Associate at Apax Partners Development.

The Magellan Partners group currently has 1,000 consultants and is aiming for revenues of €125 million. For its part, Exakis Nelite posted proforma revenues of €65 million in 2018 with 500 employees in France, Switzerland, Morocco and Bulgaria. There are already plans to recruit 150 consultants in 2019 for the new Exakis Nelite entity.

Exakis Nelite will have all the human and financial assets needed to develop its business in new solutions for Machine Learning, cognitive services and chatbots, as well as mixed realities / HoloLens and innovation with Microsoft.