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 personalised packages that fit their hiring strategy. This tallies with PIXID Group’s approach enabling clients of all sizes to efficiently manage their 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. The acquisition of Connecting-Expertise further establishes PIXID Group’s 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 made by Keensight Capital in 2015, Pixid Group has further accelerated its growth story. 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 staffing market. Today Pixid Group is the undisputed European leading provider of SaaS talent and recruitment solutions. Geographical coverage has now expanded to 20 countries across Europe and North America with a client base which has grown from 1,500 French firms to 18,000 global staffing firms and corporations. In 2020, PIXID Group counts more than three million workers registered in its database and processes in excess of 230,000 assignments per day.
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 ATS, and between permanent and contingent staffing, PIXID Group’s ambition is to provide its customers globally 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 longterm 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
