goetzpartners advised Paragon Partners

Fortlane Partners advised PARAGON PARTNERS in a dual track on the sale (incl. comprehensive lender education and recapitalisation process) of its portfolio company DTMS GMBH to NET GROUP BETEILIGUNGEN GMBH & CO. KG. This transaction successfully creates the No. 2 in the respective contact-center market segment.

Founded in 1998, DTMS has successfully established its position as the largest network-independent, omni-channel provider of AI-enabled customer contact-center solutions in the German-speaking market. The business offers value-added services, an event routing software platform and an AI-based fully automated response system for customer interactions.

Since PARAGON PARTNERS’ acquisition of DTMS in 2014, the management and the board have jointly worked on redefining its strategy, optimising its processes and renewing its product portfolio to strengthen DTMS’ position as the leading network-independent provider of contact-center solutions. In 2018, DTMS generated revenues of approx. EUR 40 million.

“We have invested into the strategic development of DTMS over the past 6 years, especially by establishing an own solutions suite based on artificial intelligence. We are delighted that DTMS has successfully positioned itself as an innovation leader”, says Krischan von Moeller, Co-Founder of PARAGON PARTNERS and adds: “We would like to thank the CEO of DTMS, Thomas Lang, his management team and all employees for their entrepreneurial commitment. With customer-oriented processes and an innovative product portfolio, we are handing over the company to NET GROUP and thus contributing to the creation of a sustainably strong and independent provider in the market.”

Thomas Lang, DTMS’ CEO adds: “With the support of PARAGON PARTNERS, we were able to reposition both our operational processes and our modernized solutions portfolio. The merger with NET GROUP strengthens both companies and together they are well positioned for the future. The experience, competence and innovation that both companies offer can hardly be matched in the market.”

This transaction underpins Fortlane Partners' industry and execution know-how in the customer care as well as technology sector and proves the success of its integrated Transaction Advisory Group (M&A, Debt, CDD & Strategy) for strategic as well as financial sponsor clients.

About dtms

Mainz-based DTMS GMBH is the leading provider of AI-based contact-center solutions and customer intelligence technology in the German-speaking area. Platforms for controlling the telephone accessibility of companies and the use of artificial intelligence to automatically answer customer queries play a decisive role. Especially the cloud-based ACD-, IVR-, multichannel-, and AI-solutions position DTMS as the innovation leader in the field of intelligent and efficient customer interaction.

About Net Group Beteiligungen

Flensburg-based NET GROUP BETEILIGUNGEN GMBH & CO. KG is a holding of internationally active outsourcing service providers for digital communication and transactions with sites in Berlin, Hamburg, Bonn and Mainz. NET GROUP BETEILIGUNGEN offers solutions for subscription billing and debtor management, digital customer communication, artificial intelligence, value added services, service numbers as well as broadband internet and IPTV.

Transaction team:

M&A:

Milan Saric
Managing Director
 

Matthias Volk
Associate Director

Robert Wagon
Associate

Philip Heinrich
Analyst

Debt Advisory:

Philipp Widmaier
Director
 

Marius Wolter
Associate