Sagard-backed Audensiel acquires tech consultancy Maltem Canada

French business and technology consulting company Audensiel has acquired Montréal-based digital consultancy Maltem Canada for an undisclosed amount.

The deal, which closed last week, marks Audensiel’s first regional acquisition and comes roughly one year after it opened its Montréal office. It did so with the support of shareholder Sagard MidCap. In a statement, Audensiel said the acquisition gives it close to 100 specialists working under the Audensiel Canada banner. 

Marc Giraud-Sauveur called the deal a “logical and natural progression” that will allow Maltem Canada to grow in an international environment.

“This acquisition consolidates Audensiel’s position in Canada in the fields of digital transformation, cybersecurity, DevOps, and data,” Nicolas Pacault, founder and president of Audensiel, said in a statement.

“We are delighted to be working with the Maltem Canada team within the group, who are experts in serving major Canadian accounts. This partnership is perfectly aligned with our values and our strategic plan to expand our activities,” Pacault added.

Maltem Canada, founded in 2018, focuses on digital transformation for North American businesses. The company offers services under five key areas of expertise: agility, cybersecurity, customer experience, development, and data. On its website, the company said it is trusted by firms like Thales, Télé-Québec, Vosker, MDF Commerce, and Québecor.

“Joining Audensiel is a logical and natural progression that will allow Maltem Canada to expand its footprint within a high-performance international environment and continue offering excellent career prospects to its employees,” Marc Giraud-Sauveur, CEO of Maltem Canada, said in a statement.

An Audensiel spokesperson told BetaKit that Giraud-Sauveur will remain as the CEO of Maltem Canada and general manager at Audensiel Canada, and all of Maltem Canada’s employees have been moved to Audensiel.

Founded in 2013, Audensiel focuses on assisting businesses with their digital transformation initiatives. The firm has over 150 clients and specializes in data and artificial intelligence, the cloud, and cybersecurity. In a statement, Audensiel said it opened its Montréal office one year ago.

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Montréal is a popular choice for French tech companies and investors setting up their international offices, thanks to the city’s strong cultural and linguistic ties to France. It also boasts a deep pool of tech talent, though it recently dropped from 12th to 15th in CBRE’s tech talent rankings. 

Sagard MidCap first announced it was in negotiations to invest in Audensiel for an undisclosed amount in 2022. The private equity fund, which has $2.9 billion CAD (€2 billion) in assets under management, according to its website, invests in the middle-market business services, healthcare, food and consumer, and industrial sectors. 

Sagard MidCap is one of the funds of Sagard Holdings, the global alternative asset manager that was created in 2002 and owned by the Desmerais family’s Power Corporation of Canada. Today, Sagard has offices in Montréal and Toronto, as well as the United States, France, and the United Arab Emirates. The firm recently appointed Parinaz Sobhani as its first head of AI to strengthen its in-house domain expertise.

Audensiel said its acquisition of Maltem Canada allows the company to tap into local expertise and strengthen its position as a go-to partner for large and mid-sized Canadian businesses.

Feature image courtesy Maltem Canada.