PSA Software M&A: Exact Acquires Professional Services Automation Provider Gripp -

Business software provider Exact, backed by private equity firm KKR, has acquired PSA (professional services automation) software provider Gripp. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

This is technology M&A deal number 228 that ChannelE2E has covered so far in 2021. See all technology M&A deals for 2021 and 2020 listed here.

Gripp, based in The Netherlands, supports roughly 1,700 customers across the Benelux -- a hot region where many U.S.-based MSP and PSA software providers are expanding their initiatives. The Benelux spans Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Exact, meanwhile, develops ERP and accounting software that supports 550,000 entrepreneurs, accountants and SME (small and midsize enterprise) companies. Exact doesn't specifically pitch to MSP businesses, but the software provider does target professional services organizations.

Exact has M&A experience. The company in September 2020 acquired Unit4's Benelux business -- known as Unit4 Bedrijfssoftware.

Exact Acquires Gripp for PSA Software: Executive Perspectives

Marcel Koenders, CEO, TK — Marcel Koenders, CEO, Gripp

In a prepared statement about the deal, Exact CEO Paul Ramakers said:

"The Netherlands is a nation of services companies with Professional Services Automation solutions in high demand. This is a great purchase for Exact and not only because of the modern SaaS offering, the strength of the team or the entrepreneurial culture that fits well with Exact but also because together we better serve the needs of different segments and subsegments. Together, we are creating a very broad offering with advanced cloud solutions for the services sector. This move is in line with our strategy to achieve growth through a powerful combination of organic development and expansion through acquisitions."

Added Gripp CEO Marcel Koenders:

"For Gripp, this acquisition allows us to realise our ambition to grow in a larger ecosystem. We have a great team and product and we are looking forward to continuing our journey as part of Exact."

PSA Software Acquisitions, Market Evolution

In North America, ConnectWise Manage and Datto Autotask are likely the most widely deployed PSA systems across the MSP sector. But multiple regional and global trends are unfolding -- including plenty of M&A.

In addition to the Exact-Gripp deal, recent PSA M&A includes:

March 2021: Ingram Micro’s CloudBlue finally confirmed the long-rumored Harmony PSA acquisition;
March 2021: Private equity firm Accel-KKR acquired Kimble Applications;
February 2021: Atera, a PSA and RRM software provider, raised $25 million from K1 Investment Management.
January 2021: Planview, backed by private equity firms TPG Capital & TA Associates, acquired protect management & PSA software companies Clarizen & Changepoint.
November 2020: Viking Venture acquired PSA software provider TimeLog.
November 2020: Polaris, backed by Replicon, launched Polaris PSA.

Meanwhile, Syncro has been gaining PSA and RMM momentum toward the low-end of the MSP market, while ServiceNow's ticketing capabilities have been disrupting some PSA systems at the higher end of the MSP market.