PRESS RELEASE: PIXID Group, supplier of Carerix, acquires Connecting-Expertise

Paris, Antwerp, London, Rotterdam – December 10, 2020 – PIXID Group, the leading European provider of workforce management solutions, has acquired Connecting-Expertise, the leading Belgian-based VMS¹ supplier, from USG People Belgium, to further strengthen its offering and expand its operations.

Following the 2018 acquisition of Dutch staffing CRM supplier Carerix, the acquisition of Connecting-Expertise reinforces Keensight Capital-backed PIXID Group’s leadership in the Benelux and adds a new presence in Belgium to its existing offices in France, the UK (since its acquisition of The Internet Corporation in 2017) and the Netherlands.

Connecting-Expertise is the leading SaaS VMS platform for the Belgian market with blue-chip customers. Thanks to its integrated software solution developed on a secure and cloud-based infrastructure, Connecting-Expertise automates all the steps of the hiring process, from recruitment and contract management to tracking and invoicing, providing customers with personalized packages that fit their hiring strategy. This tallies with PIXID Group’s approach enabling clients of all sizes to efficiently manage their temporary workers via a simple, scalable and cost-effective platform. Listed in Staffing Industry Analyst’s Top 20 VMS Players, Connecting-Expertise has nearly €1billion of spend under management, more than 12,000 users, and 4,500 registered companies.

As part of PIXID Group, Connecting-Expertise will continue to operate with its brand name and will maintain its partnership with USG People by providing its products and services to current USG clients.

This strategic alliance between PIXID Group and USG People enables both parties to fully focus on their core activities and to offer their customers and partners the best innovative solutions in the field of VMS and ATS² technology.

PIXID Group’s proprietary technology is currently responsible for filling nearly one in three temporary positions in France, where it continues to empower the temporary staff market. The acquisition of Connecting-Expertise further establishes its status as a top digital platform for the management of temporary workforces throughout Europe and is consistent with PIXID Group ’s strategic focus of developing the first Total Talent Acquisition (TTA³) ecosystem in Europe.

Since the majority investment of Keensight in 2015, PIXID Group has continued to accelerate its growth story. Today the undisputed European leading provider of SaaS HCM⁴ solutions, PIXID Group has expanded its geographical coverage (with operations across 20 countries in Europe and North America) and has seen its client base grow from 1,500 French firms to 18,000 global staffing firms and corporations. In 2019, PIXID Group counts more than three million workers registered in its database.

Etienne Colella, President of PIXID Group SAS, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome the talented team of Connecting-Expertise in the PIXID Group family. Connecting-Expertise and USG People Belgium will keep working closely together and bring the best recruitment technology to the Belgian market. PIXID Group’s strategic focus on Total Talent Acquisition (TTA) will open up new opportunities for Connecting-Expertise’s proprietary VMS, Job Board and Marketplace product range to become integrated into the TTA recruitment solution for the Belgian market. By bridging the gap between VMS and ATS2, and between permanent and contingent staffing, PIXID Group’s ambition is to provide its customers from all over Europe with state-of-the art technology to make recruitment as efficient and smooth as possible.”

Peter De Buck and Patrick Verrept, co-founders and Managing Partners of Connecting-Expertise, said: “Joining a structure as dynamic and successful as PIXID Group is a great source of pride for our team. We are thrilled to bring our expertise to PIXID Group and excited to take part in its future endeavors. Connecting-Expertise will remain in a strategic partnership with USG People, with a long-term contractual arrangement, ensuring a continued shared vision and ongoing collaboration as preferred technology partners.”

Jean-Michel Beghin, Managing Partner at Keensight Capital, said: “We are particularly proud to support Etienne Colella in PIXID Group’s international development strategy. In just a few years, PIXID Group has drastically expanded its geographical coverage across 20 countries in Europe and North America, while its client base has been multiplied by ten and reaches 18,000 global staffing firms and corporations. With Connecting-Expertise, Belgium becomes a fourth home market for PIXID Group, -after its successful acquisition of Netherland-Based Carerix in 2018 -, which will clearly contribute to strengthen the Group’s positioning as a leading European digital platform for the management of flexible workforce and pave the way for more global successes.”

Glossary

1. VMS (Vendor Management System): Cloud-based workforce management solution enabling businesses and recruitment agencies to maximize productivity, efficiency and compliance
2. ATS (Applicant Tracking System): Solution focused on digital applicant management, from sourcing to placement
3. TTA (Total Talent Acquisition): VMS + ATS
4. HCM: Human Capital Management

About PIXID Group
Created in 2004, PIXID Group is the leading VMS in France to offer a complete SAAS application compliant with the many aspects of French regulation for providing and using temporary staff. PIXID Group’s platform enables clients of all sizes to efficiently manage its temporary workers via a simple, scalable and cost-effective platform. The PIXID Group offering manages recruiters, suppliers and employment contracts while helping to ensure that its clients are compliant with the latest employment regulations. More than 145,000 client locations are daily connected through PIXID Group to lower their costs and work more efficiently with their suppliers on-line. Today, the company deals with 4,000,000 contracts. Very innovative services, like the electronic signature of HR contracts are available to customers ranging from large accounts to SMB.
PIXID Group works in close partnership with the French Ministry of Labour, Employment, Vocational Training and Social Dialogue in its heartland and has established working relationships with The Recruitment & Employment Confederation and The Association of Professional Staffing Companies since its foray into the UK market.
For more information, visit www.pixid.fr/en and follow @PIXID_Group

About Connecting-Expertise
Connecting-Expertise (CE), a well-respected recruitment software company founded in 2007, has been previously included in Deloitte’s Fast 50 (2019) and named as a Staffing Industry Analyst Top 20 Player. Headquarters is located in Antwerp, Belgium, CE is delivering proprietary VMS, Job Board and Marketplace products to customers in Belgium, France and the United Kingdom.
For more information, visit us at www.connecting-expertise.com

About Keensight Capital
Keensight Capital, one of the leading European Growth Buyout firms, is committed to supporting entrepreneurs as they implement their growth strategies. For 20 years, Keensight Capital’s team of seasoned professionals has leveraged their knowledge of investment and growth industries to invest for the long term in profitable companies with high growth potential and revenues in the range of €15 million to €250 million. Drawing on its expertise in the Technology and Healthcare sectors, Keensight identifies the best investment opportunities in Europe and works closely with management teams to develop and achieve their strategic vision.
www.keensightcapital.com

Media Contacts

PIXID Group
Cicommunication / Marion Felix & Catherine Isnard – cicom@cicommunication.com – +33 1 47 23 90 48

Keensight Capital
Anne de Bonnefon – abonnefon@keensightcapital.com – +33 1 83 79 87 37

Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Alienor Miens – alienor.miens@citigatedewerogerson.com – +33 6 64 32 81 75