Heikendorf (Germany)
SOLVARES GROUP
Real time scheduling and route optimisation software
KEY FACTS AT A GLANCE
SOLVARES GROUP
€25.4MN
€10.5MN
38.9%
16.1%
61.1%
OCTOBER 2018
REVENUES in €mn
8
10
11
As of 31 December 2020
~18
PER CENT
of sales represented by Software-as-a-Service business
The company uses a cloud-based saas solution and is a leader in its market niche – we are investing in a software provider with significant growth potential, and in a market that is less cyclical.
PROFILE
Solvares Group (previously: FLS GmbH) develops and sells software that enables energy suppliers, industrial companies, financial service providers, retail and real estate companies to plan and optimise their schedule and route planning as well as their deployment of field service employees and delivery vehicles. Its products are based on a heuristic algorithm that uses real-time data, making it possible to find solutions for planning tasks while taking into account a large number of influential factors. This particularly meets the needs of companies that want to efficiently deploy a large number of employees at the same time in a rapidly changing environment. The company operates against a background of growing expectations in ordering and delivery processes and dynamic traffic conditions that are almost impossible to predict. The market for optimisation software in this kind of environment is expanding at rates that are well into double digits, substantially driven also by the growth in e-commerce. The company stands out due to the services it offers, which are customised to the needs of the customer groups mentioned. Clients rely on their products, enabling them to benefit from the competitive advantages of maximum resource utilisation, cost savings and far superior service quality.
POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT
DBAG will enable the company to drive its growth, take advantage of expertise, and strategically develop it further. The company wants to first establish and expand a partner network in Germany and then do the same in other countries in order to strengthen its market access and offer its solutions to an even broader customer base.
FINANCIAL YEAR 2019
In 2019, management successfully increased the share of the recurring Software-as-a-Service business. Total sales are expected to be rather flat in comparison to the previous year due to consulting revenues developing below expectations. Management lay the foundation for future growth by strengthening the sales activities as well as by implementing a partner distribution network.
OUTLOOK AND OBJECTIVES
Managing Director
Managing Director
Ragnar Geerdts joined Deutsche Beteiligungs AG in 2012 and became a Managing Director in 2017.
Ragnar Geerdts has over nine years of experience in private equity. He has extensive knowledge of the automotive supplier and telecommunications industries and in mechanical and plant engineering. He was involved in numerous investments and disinvestments, including DNS:NET, Frimo, Formel D, inexio, mageba, Oechsler and Unser Heimatbäcker. Ragnar Geerdts also led the investment process in vitronet, netzkontor nord, von Poll Immobilien, BTV Multimedia, FLS and DING Group and sits on the advisory councils of these companies. Before joining Deutsche Beteiligungs AG he worked in the area of M&A at Bayer AG and at Deutsche Post AG.
Ragnar Geerdts holds a degree in Business Administration from Freie Universität Berlin, and also studied at the Beijing Foreign Studies University.