Qolcom Ltd

Meridian Corporate Finance advised the Shareholders of Qolcom Limited on their sale to German conglomerate Bechtle AG

Founded in 2005, Qolcom specialises in digital workplace solutions, intelligent network infrastructure, and security. With a team of 44 employees and revenues of 30 million euros in the last fiscal year, Qolcom is a well-respected name in the British IT services market.

This acquisition aligns with Qolcom's goal to accelerate its growth under the umbrella of a larger international group, while ensuring the continuity of its leadership team. Keith Reading, CEO and Founder of Qolcom will remain with the company as General Manager, providing stability during the transition.

The integration of Qolcom into Bechtle’s existing operations, particularly its southern locations in London and Chippenham, will significantly enhance the group's market share and service capabilities. Konstantin Ebert, COO of Bechtle AG, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We have been very successful in expanding our footprint in the British market over the past three years, and our open and inclusive culture certainly has played no small part in that. Qolcom is a perfect match for us—both in terms of its people and its portfolio—and we are looking forward to writing the next chapter in our success story together.”

For Qolcom’s customers, this acquisition brings access to Bechtle Group's extensive national and international capabilities, unlocking a wealth of new opportunities. Bechtle’s presence in 14 European countries and its strong network of global partners will further strengthen Qolcom’s offerings, especially in the expanding Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) space.

As part of the acquisition strategy, James Napp, Managing Director of Bechtle UK, will oversee Qolcom’s integration. He noted, “The Qolcom team’s knowledge, expertise, and strong customer and vendor relationships will add significant strength to Bechtle UK’s position in the mid-market, enterprise, and public sector networking and security space. We are excited to start collaborating and view this as another big step towards becoming one of the top 10 IT solutions providers in the United Kingdom.”

Meridian is thrilled to have played a crucial role in advising Qolcom’s shareholders during this pivotal transaction. Philip Mettam, Director at Meridian, who led the transaction commented: “We were delighted to be appointed by the shareholders of Qolcom as lead advisors on the transaction, and following discussion with a number of potential partners it was clear that there was an excellent match between Qolcom team and Becthle. Bechtle and their advisors were efficient and pragmatic throughout the process, ensuring that the transaction was completed in a manner that delivered a great outcome for all parties. We wish all involved the best for the future.”

Keith Reading, CEO and Founder at Qolcom said of Meridian’s support: “In depth planning at the beginning of the deal with Meridian was a crucial aspect to the sales process that in turn allowed me to focus on running the business day to day which ultimately led to the smooth sale of Qolcom to a perfectly matched buyer in Bechtle.”

The transaction was supported by Yavan Brar, Managing Partner, and Chris Gemson, Legal Director at Herrington Carmichael.