BIW Technologies Ltd (BIW) has been acquired by German-based conject Holdings GmbH in a deal to unite Europe’s leading providers of ILM software applications to the engineering, construction and real estate industries.  BIW will join with conject AG, creating a new group that offers customers a full range of applications to support asset-based projects through their whole lifecycle: from concept, design and construction through to facilities management.

With offices in nine countries worldwide, the new group has combined revenues of around €18 million, with 180 employees and approximately 170,000 active users. Supported by two of Europe’s leading growth investors, Early Bird and Seventure, the group is now perfectly placed for ambitious future growth across Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and North America.

The group’s operating subsidiaries BIW Technologies and conject AG will each retain its own local identity, offices, staff and resources, whilst continuing to develop and maintain its current portfolio of applications. Group oversight will be provided by a Management Board comprising the senior executive of both companies, who will seek to exploit the group’s extended global reach and resources to the benefit of clients.

“We are delighted to be joining forces with conject,” said Colin Smith, CEO, BIW and co-CEO of the group. “BIW has been expanding into new international markets over the last few years, and joining forces with conject will help us to build on that growth for the benefit of our customers.  In these challenging economic times, clients look for suppliers who are financially secure, have a robust business model and global reach – and we can now offer them exactly that.”

“conject and BIW share the same vision and approach to innovation and customer service,” added Martin Reents, CEO, conject and co-CEO of the group. “We recognised the quality and value of BIW’s applications, which are wholly complementary to our own ILM portfolio, and we are very excited to be able to extend and complete our suite. Many of our customers are world leaders in their fields, and have increasingly global and complex needs.  Together, conject and BIW can offer them a service that meets these needs.”

BIW is headquartered in Woking, Surrey, with further offices in Nottingham, Dubai, India and the USA.  Its carbon neutral, online project management software is used by around 15,000 organisations to improve project management and control.

conject AG’s Infrastructure Lifecycle Management software is used by more than 3,500 businesses – including 65 per cent of Germany’s blue-chip (DAX) companies.  With head offices in Munich, Germany, it also operates in the Netherlands, Austria, Russia, the USA, Singapore and Dubai.