Business & Tech-enabled Services, M&A

Bryan, Garnier & Co acts as Sole Financial Advisor to the shareholders of RTS Group on its sale to Advania

The acquisition of RTS will strengthen Advania's position as one of the leading IT services providers in the Nordics.

The strategic fit between RTS and Advania is excellent combining the service offering of Cloud Managed Services, Professional Services, and IT Solutions. The transaction will enable Advania to increase its VMware offering, with RTS being recognized as the leading VMware professional services provider in the Nordics.

Bryan, Garnier & Co conducted a competitive process involving tier one trade buyers and financial sponsors to ensure the best possible outcome for the shareholders, ultimately resulting in the shareholders selecting Advania as the new owner of the company.

This marks another landmark transaction for Bryan, Garnier & Co’s Business & Tech-enabled services practice within the IT services sector.

Notable transactions executed by Bryan, Garnier & Co’s team in the sector include the sale of Tinqin to be ys, the sale of Oceanet Technology to Celeste, the sale of Metsys to European Digital Group, the minority investment by Andera Partners in Artemys, the acquisition of Sodifrance by Sopra Steria, the sale of Sword France to Argos Wityu, the sale of a minority stake in Intys Consulting to Omnes Capital and 15+ transactions including both buy- and sell-side for Advania in the past.

"Bryan Garnier’s team played a pivotal role in structuring an optimal financing solution for Abivax. This is our 5th operation with Bryan Garnier, and their ability to bring together multiple stakeholders to negotiate complex agreements and provide tailored financing has proven to be invaluable. We’ve come to understand just how critical it is to have advisors who know our objectives and clinical development goals, and look forward to continuing our successful partnership." 

— Didier Blondel - CFO, Abivax

Founded in 1998, RTS is an advisory partner with expertise in IT infrastructure and digitalization. RTS is a team of 190 employees with offices in Stockholm, Malmö, Helsingborg, and Örebro. With deep expertise in innovative technology and strategic partnerships with leading IT vendors, RTS enables companies and organizations to succeed in their digital transformation. RTS’s comprehensive offering in IT infrastructure consists of four business units: RTS Professional Services, RTS Solutions, RTS Technology Platforms, and RTS Cloud, and together RTS delivers business value tailored to clients’ unique digitalization needs. The group had an annual turnover of c. EUR 100m in 2022/2023.

Advania is “The tech company with people at heart,” operating across Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, Denmark, and the UK. With a team of over 5,000 talents, Advania offers managed services, hardware, software, and professional services to clients in both private and public sectors, primarily in the mid-market. Advania’s main goal isn’t just about technology; it’s about empowering people to create sustainable value. By establishing lasting relationships, utilizing leading technologies, providing modern platform solutions, and fostering strategic partnerships, Advania is shaping the future IT landscape. Advania is proudly backed by funds managed by the Private Equity team at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Advania has c. €1.5b in turnover.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management provides clients around the world with a dedicated partnership and focus on long-term performance. As the primary investing area within Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), we deliver investment and advisory services for the world’s leading institutions, financial advisors and individuals, drawing from our deeply connected global network and tailored expert insights, across every region and market—overseeing more than $2 trillion in assets under supervision worldwide as of June 30, 2022. Driven by a passion for our clients’ performance, we seek to build long-term relationships based on conviction, sustainable outcomes, and shared success over time. Goldman Sachs Asset Management invests in the full spectrum of alternatives, including private equity, growth equity, private credit, real estate and infrastructure. Established in 1986, the Private Equity business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management has invested over $75 billion since inception. We combine our global network of relationships, our unique insight across markets, industries and regions, and the worldwide resources of Goldman Sachs to build businesses and accelerate value creation across our portfolios.

Established in 1989, IK Partners is a European private equity firm that has successfully supported and rewarded its investors and business partners by placing people at the center of IK Partners strategy. IK Partners has €7.8b AuM with offices in London, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Luxembourg, New York, and Paris.

VIA equity is a leading Northern European private equity buy-out firm with an excellent track record of building and transforming our investments into national and international industry leaders. VIA equity invest in software and IT companies of all sizes, either alone (primarily in small and medium-sized companies with revenue from EUR 10 million to EUR 100 million) or together with one or more of our Limited Partners (primarily larger deals). VIA equity has €0.4b AuM with offices in Hellerup, Denmark, and Munich. The primary investment focus is Information Technology, Software and Services.