Ipsilon acquires IP Hills and strengthens its position in Benelux, with the support of  Waterland Private Equity

Ipsilon, a major European intellectual property services firm, is thrilled to announce the strategic acquisition of IP Hills, a prominent Belgium-based IP services firm specializing in patents, trademarks, designs, copyrights, and contracts. This key acquisition is supported by Waterland Private Equity, a leading pan-European investment fund known for its proactive support of growth-oriented companies.

The addition of IP Hills to the Ipsilon Group portfolio significantly enhances its business presence in the Benelux region, nearly doubling its revenue. Already among the leader IP firms in Luxembourg, the Ipsilon Group with the inclusion of IP Hills is anticipated to join the top 5 IP firms in Belgium, boosting the company’s visibility among entrepreneurs, innovative companies, clients and IP attorneys in Flanders and Wallonia and opening up more opportunities to tackle the Dutch market.

IP Hills’ two offices in Ghent and Leuven fortify Ipsilon Group’s geographic coverage in a rapidly growing European market. Ipsilon Group, which was already addressing the Belgian market through its office in Louvain-la-Neuve, now also has a presence in the economically dynamic region of Flanders, thus encompassing the whole Belgian territory.

IP Hills brings with it a diverse and attractive customer base, consisting of 400+ revenue-generating customers amongst which multinationals, family-owned SME’s, high-tech companies, start- and scale-ups, universities, research centers and leading accelerators. This strategic acquisition allows the Ipsilon Group to work with highly regarded, young and pragmatic IP attorneys and paralegals with multi-sector expertise and multi-geography IP qualifications.

Founded in 2010, IP Hills has proven a steady above-market growth driven by organic development. The company employs a dedicated, client-oriented and experienced multi-lingual team of 22 people.

The acquisition of IP Hills will enable the Ipsilon Group to continue providing clients with top-tier IP management and strategic advice, while also gaining competitive advantages through adopting and deploying appropriate IP tools and solutions to the benefit of clientele.

 “We’re excited about the opportunities this acquisition presents,” said Valérie Feray, CEO of the Ipsilon Group. “Through stimulating cross-border cooperation we expect to accelerate our growth, expand our client offerings, increase client satisfaction and continue to serve the marketplace with industry-leading solutions in the whole Benelux area and all over Europe.”

“The IP Hills management is eager to re-invest in this ambitious pan-European project. By joining forces with Ipsilon, we see an extraordinary opportunity to create value for our clients through the powerful combination of complementary capabilities, to convert new clients in unexplored vertical markets, and to stimulate professional development and growth of all IP Hills team members” adds Axel Plas, Managing Director of IP Hills. “This acquisition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team. We are looking forward to joining the Ipsilon family as spearhead for expansion in the Benelux region.”

“We are enthusiastic about this new chapter in Ipsilon’s growth story,” explains Louis Huetz, Partner of Waterland in France. “We believe in the power of the combination of Ipsilon and IP Hills and are looking forward to supporting them in their future endeavors.”

Waterland

Investment team: Louis Huetz, Pierre Naftalski, Oscar Dintilhac, Ahmed Benkirane

Advice

Buyer advice: Argo Law and Racine Avocats
Financial, legal, social and tax audit: Moore Corporate Finance
Financing advice: Mayer Brown
Seller advice: Schoups
Seller M&A advice: NX Corporate Finance
Unitranche financing: Muzinich

About Ipsilon

Ipsilon is an Intellectual Property Consulting firm specializing in the filing, monitoring, maintenance and defense of all industrial property rights, including patents, trademarks, models and domain names. Founded in 2001 by Valérie Feray, Ipsilon has experienced rapid development on the French and European market through a dynamic external growth strategy based on rapprochement with prestigious firms.

About IP Hills

IP Hills, founded by Axel Plas and Thomas Coppens in 2010, is a premier client-centric one-stop shop for IP services, a no-nonsense partner for innovative, design savvy and high-tech companies and research institutes, mastering traditional technologies and techniques and excelling in the protection of software and AI-driven innovation. With an unmatched passion for innovation, IP Hills provides a robust suite of services that empower businesses to protect and maximize the value of their intellectual property.

About Waterland Private Equity

Waterland Private Equity is an independent, pan-European investment fund from the Netherlands that supports entrepreneurs in their growth ambitions. Active since 1999, Waterland has consistently delivered industry-leading performance, investing in more than 800 companies since its inception. The group currently manages over €14 billion in investor commitments, after a double fundraising last month of €4 billion closed in just four months. Since its creation in 1999, Waterland has more than 170 professionals operating in 13 offices in 11 countries. As a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment, Waterland develops a sustainable and forward-looking investment strategy.

Waterland Private Equity Investments B.V. is registered as a fund manager in the register maintained by the Dutch regulator AFM (Autoriteit Financiële Markten).

More information: https://waterland.be/fr

Press Contact: Clara Lees, clara@2017.fr, +33.6.23.12.47.00