Hoofddorp, 22 February 2021 – Macaw, leading provider of digital services, today announced that private equity firm Avedon Capital Partners is to invest. This partnership will enable the ‘Great Place to Work’ company to execute its ‘Macaw25’ growth strategy. Its aim is to become a leading European player that brings value to customers with Microsoft & Sitecore technology.
Macaw stands for successful implementations and services in the areas of digital marketing and e-commerce, data and AI, working in the cloud, and integrated business applications. Specializing in the software solutions of Microsoft and Sitecore, Macaw enables customers like Heineken, Eneco, Henkel and Vorwerk, to benefit from the first-class technology and wide-ranging knowledge and experience of its staff. Macaw employs more than 350 people at its head office in the Netherlands, as well as in offices in Germany and Lithuania. The ambition is to be active in multiple European countries, growing the team towards 1000 people altogether by 2025.
International growth
Macaw aims to continue its international expansion through organic growth as well as acquisitions, with expanding its presence in the DACH region as the first priority. With the support of Avedon, Macaw can pursue a buy and build strategy to access new markets with a scalable local footprint. The focus will be on Microsoft and Sitecore specialists with an emphasis on data, customer experience and business applications.
Unique company culture and DNA
Macaw has a company culture that stands out because of its strong focus on staff alongside customers. Not just by giving them plenty of responsibility, placing our trust in them, and showing respect, but by also creating a working environment that is all about collaboration, learning, authenticity, vitality and achieving success. This culture has evolved by combining a whole range of disciplines, such as advice, creation, technology and data. And is characterized by craftsmanship, dedication and passion. Macaw-ers are ambitious go-getters who love a challenge and aim for the best results. The company’s slogan – not surprisingly – is ‘challenge accepted’. Combining the best technology with the best people – with an added dose of creativity, passion, expertise and connection – creates a strong basis for success.
Successful and sustainable business
William van der Pijl, CEO of Macaw, explains: “We want to support more customers in their digital journey and help them to be successful with our solutions and services, by turning every challenge into a success. In Avedon Capital Partners we have found a great partner to help us accelerate our internationalization and one who will enable us to preserve our unique culture at the same time. We will selectively add other culture-led and like-minded top performing specialists to build a successful and sustainable business together. This will bring even deeper and broader technical expertise and wider geographic coverage to our clients.”
Ronald van Es, CFO of Macaw, adds: “We are very pleased that we can continue our growth and strong performance, which is based on an environment of trust, that our people feel inspired and safe in, and can be true to themselves. With our strong focus on employees and customers, we are on a new journey of growth while remaining a leading innovator.”
“We are excited to become part of Macaw’s impressive growth path”, says Emily Jeffries, Investment Director at Avedon Capital Partners. “In this fast-growing market, talent is scarce. Macaw has created a culture and work environment which attracts and retains talented people. This great employee proposition, in combination with strong technical capabilities, puts Macaw in a good position to further benefit from the high demand we see in the market. We are impressed with how customers and dedicated partners, Microsoft and Sitecore, rate Macaw’s technical capabilities and way of working. Its excellent reputation will further fuel the growth momentum.”
About Avedon Capital Partners
Avedon is a leading lower mid-market private equity firm in the Benelux and Germany, providing capital in partnership with strong founder/owners or management teams that have distinctive and ambitious growth plans requiring a step change. The Avedon team is based in Amsterdam (NL) and Düsseldorf (GER), with managed assets of more than € 1 billion. Through dedicated sector teams, Avedon seeks opportunities in niches within four sectors: i) Software & Technology; ii) Business Services; iii) Smart Industries; and iv) Consumer & Health. The team has supported 26 growth companies in the fields of strategy, national and international sales growth, human capital and operational improvement and, throughout the cycles, has achieved a strong track record of growth and value creation.
About Macaw
IT service provider Macaw helps large companies with solutions and services in the areas of digital marketing and e-commerce, data and AI, working in the cloud and integrated business applications. Macaw specializes in the software solutions of Microsoft and Sitecore. This enables customers to benefit from the first-class technology and wide-ranging knowledge and experience of its more than 350 employees working from its head office in the Netherlands, as well as offices in Germany and Lithuania. Helping customers such as Heineken, Eneco, Henkel, Vorwerk to be successful.
Macaw’s love of a challenge has created a unique business culture. And the company has been high on the Great Place to Work rankings for many years. Read more about us.
