Down2Earth Capital and Quanteus Group join forces to accelerate next phase growth ambitions of The House of Marketing and Upthrust.
The House of Marketing, the number one strategic marketing consultancy and staffing firm in Belgium, which was acquired by Quanteus Group in 2014, has posted solid double-digit growth in the last five years, and today has over 100 consultants and a strong network of freelancers. Its sister company Upthrust – a digital business accelerator offering digital sales & marketing expertise, from staffing to project delivery - has enjoyed extremely rapid growth since coming onto the market in 2018. Both companies are now ready for the next step in their international expansion.
As of the 25th of September, Down2Earth is joining the companies with the objective of further fuelling the companies’ development through accelerated organic growth (a.o. within the digital segment), a broader range of services, internationalization and external expansion (buy & build). Quanteus Group and the current Leadership Team remain onboard for this solid partnership.
Alain Keppens, Managing Partner Down2Earth: “We are excited to embark on this journey together with Quanteus Group and the team to accelerate the expansion of The House of Marketing and Upthrust. During the preparatory meetings we were charmed, not only by the refreshing and promising positioning of the companies, but also by the energy and dynamism of the Leadership Team, and the overall culture of the companies. We invited Quanteus Group and the Leadership Team to stay on board for a solid partnership – which they accepted enthusiastically. We will work closely together to drive value creation through growth, expansion of the digital activities, acceleration of the consulting activities, international development and further professionalization, with our typical no-nonsense approach.”
Kris Vansanten and Evelyne van Wassenhove, Partners Quanteus Group: “Over the past few years, we have had the privilege of working together with an outstanding team to support The House of Marketing and Upthrust with the development and evolution of their position as an innovative, leading player in the marketing and digital services sector, and are proud of the solid growth track that has been realized. To further ramp up the companies’ growth and their national and international ambitions, we were looking for a partner with the right experience, shared alignment with the Quanteus Group values and a strong financial backing. We found this partner in Down2Earth, with whom we have been on the same wavelength from the word got. Together with them and the Leadership Team we feel confident that we will be able to bring the companies to their next level. At the same time, the strong collaboration with the Quanteus Group entities will remain intact to maximize impact at the client, which was also an important element in our decision to move ahead.”
In addition, with this transaction Quanteus Group -through its division RSQ Investors- confirms its capacity to successfully identify, invest and turnaround distressed companies into promising, innovative business leaders of tomorrow. Kris Vansanten: "Our focus on creating a value-driven business culture, together with our capacity to attract, develop and retain teams of passionate people adhering to our values and focusing on sustainable value generation, is one of the key factors of our success. In addition, it is very motivating for me to create an environment in which our employees can develop themselves to their full potential, in a win-win-win setting between our clients, themselves and Quanteus."
Gregory Delens and Dennis De Cat, Managing Directors of The House of Marketing and Upthrust respectively add: “We are excited about this evolution, as it is a tremendous recognition of what has been achieved. We see Down2Earth’s proven track record, experience and fit with our company culture as a great opportunity to continue steering The House of Marketing and Upthrust towards their national and international expansion ambitions. With our passionate team of consultants, we look forward to further unlocking business growth through marketing at many more clients, leveraging our expertise in a wide array of topics, current and future.”
The transaction was facilitated by VMB for D2E and Navius Corporate Finance for Quanteus Group. Monard Law was the sole legal advisor.
About The House of Marketing:
For years, companies have been calling on The House of Marketing for strategic marketing consulting and interim management. Bringing in consultants from The House of Marketing means bringing in a connected hub of more than 100 dedicated marketing experts and a network of independent Consultants who look at opportunities beyond the job. Our entrepreneurial instincts and future-proof vision on marketing enable us to inspire, stimulate innovation and help our clients transition towards profitable, sustainable growth by unlocking business opportunities through marketing. More information on www.thehouseofmarketing.be.
About Upthrust:
Upthrust is a growth office that answers a need for operational digital marketing (technology) talent by bridging the gap between marketing and IT. Upthrust helps its clients to achieve impactful digital marketing by offering an operationally-excellent and result-focused skill and knowledge set, ranging from core online marketing knowledge to in-depth & hands-on tool expertise combined with deep marketing campaign acumen. We focus on six domains: operations, performance, technology, media, growth & design. We take on both project and interim work on behalf of both ambitious SMEs and large corporations, mostly in Belgium. More information on www.upthrust.eu.
About Down2Earth Capital:
Founded in 2013, Down 2 Earth Capital is an independent private equity fund. Focusing on small and medium transactions in Belgium, D2E Capital combines extensive and successful experience in private equity with industrial expertise at summit level. For more information: www.d2e.be
About Quanteus Group:
Quanteus Group was created in 2004 and has been growing its scope ever since with the creation and acquisition of different companies. With a positioning to further bridge the gap between strategy and implementation, Quanteus Group ensures a full coverage of the business transformation spectrum and beyond. The group consists of The House of Marketing, Upthrust, BrightWolves, HighMind, QuantIM and RSQ Investors. With those 6 focused, complementary entities, which combine business sense and generalist knowledge with specific expertise and solutions building capabilities, the Quanteus Group helps companies to have more impact and to transform themselves into industry leaders. For more information: www.quanteus.com.