HeadFirst Group, the leading HR-tech service provider for professionals in the Benelux, announces it has reached an agreement with IceLake Capital to join as a new investor. With this, HeadFirst Group aims to enable the company's future growth in Europe.
HeadFirst Group provides a diversity of tailored HR services for large and medium-sized companies in the private and public sectors, employing more than 20,000 highly skilled professionals every day. The company has a proven track record of strong organic growth and expansion through acquisitions. For example, it doubled its size in the past two years to more than two billion in revenue. HeadFirst Group's core market segments Managed Service Providing (MSP) and mediation of STEM profiles are also developing well. With the strong market position in the Benelux as a basis, the company sees plenty of opportunities to expand in Europe. With IceLake's involvement, solid financing is in place to realize these ambitions.
Financing for growth
HeadFirst Group has found in IceLake a pragmatic and highly ambitious shareholder that fits the company and its entrepreneurial culture. IceLake was founded by private equity professionals and entrepreneurs who have extensive experience in growing companies. IceLake's initial investment is part of a broader commitment to HeadFirst Group's international M&A roadmap.
Han Kolff, Chairman of the Board of HeadFirst Group, commented, "We are very pleased to welcome IceLake as a strong financial investor, alongside our existing financing partner Kartesia and our founders. This confirms the great performance of our employees in professionalizing our organization and achieving solid growth over the past years. With IceLake on board, we will be able to realize our growth strategy in Europe."
Bastiaan Hagenouw of IceLake added: "We are very excited to invest in HeadFirst Group. We are impressed how they have developed into a company with a unique and market leading position in HR services. We look forward to working with their experienced board and management team to realize their ambitions for future growth and to offer their innovative value-added solutions to an even larger group of clients, suppliers and professionals."
Jean Diercxsens, managing director at Kartesia, agrees: "We have seen HeadFirst Group more than double in size and profitability in the two years we have been involved as a financial partner and remain committed to being part of this. Kartesia is pleased to have IceLake as a new investor, allowing HeadFirst Group to continue its profitable growth and international expansion."
The transaction is subject to customary approval by competition authorities.
About HeadFirst Group
HeadFirst Group is a leading, international HR technology service provider and the largest platform for professionals in the Netherlands. The organization offers a diversity of HR solutions, such as Managed Service Providing, Recruitment Process Outsourcing, intermediary services (matchmaking, contracting) and HR consulting. Every day more than twenty thousand professionals work for over five hundred clients in Europe, with which HeadFirst Group realizes an annual turnover of over two billion euros. The main brands of HeadFirst Group are the MSP (including intermediary services) labels HeadFirst, Between and Staffing Management Services, RPO and recruitment specialist Sterksen and IT talent sourcer StarApple.
About IceLake
IceLake is a private equity firm focused on forming partnerships with entrepreneurs and management teams to support their (international) growth ambitions.
About Kartesia
Kartesia provides tailored credit and capital solutions for leading mid-market companies in Europe. The group manages more than EUR 5 billion and operates from local offices across Europe.