09 July 2024

Oaklen x Utsit

Acquisition

Secteur Consulting & Technology Services

Oaklen Consulting and Utsit announce strategic alliance to improve relations between banks and businesses

Client Oaklen

Founded in 2001, Oaklen Consulting is an independent consultancy based in Paris, specialising in the payments sector. Its 60 payments experts support clients across the entire value chain: strategic studies, digital marketing, design and implementation of payment platforms, consulting and auditing in cybersecurity and regulatory compliance. With over 20 years' experience, the company works with some of the biggest banks and CAC40 companies. It has also launched the first 100% digital training course dedicated to the world of payments, the Oaklen Academy. The firm, which has won a Great Place to Work award and expects to achieve sales of almost €9 million by 2023, is enjoying strong annual growth.

Contrepartie Utsit

Founded in 2002, Utsit is an independent consultancy based in Paris and Singapore, specialising in treasury information systems. Its 20 consultants support customers throughout the entire life cycle of their treasury IS projects: defining requirements, finding a solution, implementing it or assisting the project owner, deploying it and maintaining it in operational condition. Utsit's original reputation stems from its role as a driving force in the creation and deployment of Swift's offering to businesses, a role that is still one of its most salient features, along with its strong involvement in the general interest of the profession as represented within the AFTE and the FNFE. Utsit is honoured to work for major companies and banks in France, Europe and around the world, particularly in Singapore.

● The two independent consultancies, Oaklen Consulting, which specializes in payments, and Utsit, which specializes in treasury information systems and B2B payments, have announced the combination of their businesses following the conclusion of a binding letter of offer.

● The eighty staff who make up the two firms will articulate their skills to optimize relationships between banks and businesses with a client portfolio comprising almost two hundred references.

● Thanks to their merger, Utsit and Oaklen Consulting, with combined sales of €15 million, will now offer a strategic approach to both B2B and B2C payments, from Swift to bankcards. Following a second MBO transaction in early 2024, Oaklen Consulting is strengthening its positioning combining strategic and operational expertise by joining forces with Utsit.
The strategic merger between Utsit and Oaklen Consulting will be announced at Universwiftnet 2024 on 4 June. The event has a special significance, as it was created by Hervé Postic, Chairman and CEO of Utsit, in February 2004, before being taken over by the financial media L’AGEFI.

Innovative expertise to meet new market challenges

This strategic merger will bring together the eighty employees of the two firms, who will combine their skills to optimize relations between banks and businesses across the entire payment value chain. The merger will be marked by a strong increase in the equity stake held by Oaklen Consulting and Utsit employees, and by the handover from Hervé Postic to his partners.

This long-term partnership will focus on three major challenges:

● deploying information systems for treasurers: offering robust, efficient solutions for managing financial flows, from the trading room back office to cash management, including payments and banking communications;

● the digitalization of payment-related support functions, particularly in connection with the reform of electronic invoicing, involving both management teams and accounting, legal, and IT departments;

● creating seamless payment experiences: developing innovative solutions to simplify transactions between companies and their partners.

By joining forces, the two independent firms will be strengthening their expertise, giving them undeniable competitive advantages over the major generalist consultancies.

Rémi Gitzinger, Managing Director of Oaklen Consulting, explains: “With Utsit, we are specialists in two different payment methods which, until now, only half-talked to each other: the world of cards and the world of transfers. In terms of usage, these two worlds will become transparent to the user tomorrow. It is therefore crucial for the market to know how to use these two systems and take advantage of their hybridization.”

For Hervé Postic, President and CEO of Utsit: “This merger is a decisive step for Utsit. Our meeting with Oaklen Consulting marks the start of a new era in the world of payments. Together, we will be able to offer even more effective solutions tailored to our customers' needs, by combining our expertise in treasury information systems with Oaklen's expertise in payments.”

Secteur lié

Consulting & Technology Services

PAX Corporate Finance is the leading investment bank in the consulting and technology services sector. For over 20 years, we have been supporting entrepreneurs in these industries with nearly one hundred successful transactions.

Équipe Membres associés

Enrick Gane Associé

Anthonin Aline Chargé d'affaires

Robin Aquilina Manager

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