Cleo Acquires ECS International to Accelerate Global Ecosystem Integration Adoption

December 14, 2023 at 07:00 AM EST

Purchase of Netherlands-based technology partner brings Cleo’s B2B integration expertise to the Benelux region, with promise of making European supply chains more efficient

Cleo, the pioneer and global leader of the Ecosystem Integration software category and provider of the Cleo Integration Cloud (CIC) platform, today announced it has acquired longtime business partner ECS International (ECS), an integration technology company based in Hoorn, the Netherlands. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1999, ECS has been a Cleo partner since 2005. The company provides technology solutions for hundreds of European customers, all of which will now directly benefit from the category-leading innovations that other Cleo customers using Cleo Integration Cloud enjoy.

“This latest step in Cleo’s global expansion is extremely strategic for two important reasons,” Cleo President and CEO Mahesh Rajasekharan said. “First, given Cleo’s rapid growth and scalability, we can now deliver limitless value to our multinational enterprise customers that have supply chain execution needs in Europe. Second, the Benelux region serves as an important crossroad for many European supply chains. From this central location, Cleo’s ecosystem integration technology will make European supply chains more efficient, cross-border commerce more dependable, and ecosystem trading partner relationships more valuable.”

According to a recent report from Accenture, some 30 percent of the value added to goods produced in Europe materializes because of functioning cross-border supply chains. Given the economic disruptions currently challenging Europe, this fact underscores how important it is for companies to proactively address supply chain agility challenges and remain competitive.

Cleo has proven technology expertise in eCommerce and omnichannel, along with deep supply chain experience across manufacturing, logistics, retail, and distribution industries. When combined with its high-value ecosystem integration platform and services offerings, Cleo stands to become a significant differentiator for companies based in Europe, or multinationals doing business globally.

“By formally establishing a central presence in Continental Europe to complement their existing footprint in the UK, Cleo is demonstrating their commitment to deliver value by bringing today’s most sophisticated B2B integration solution -- Cleo Integration Cloud -- to European companies right when they need it most,” said Ben Rinkel, founder and CEO of ECS.

Effective immediately, ECS will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Cleo. The companies anticipate no disruption in customer service as ECS becomes a part of the Cleo organization. ECS’s flagship product, ECS X4Connect, will continue to be supported and is expected to benefit from deeper technical support and product innovation capabilities.

Rajasekharan continued, “Cleo’s brand promise is to help organizations deliver on their commitments – across internal and external ecosystem stakeholders – through increased supply chain agility and resiliency. ECS has a proven track record for delivering excellence, and together, we can now extend our brand experience further into Europe.”

To learn more about Cleo and its software, services, and industry solutions, visit the company website, www.cleo.com.

About ECS International

ECS International connects organisations worldwide. We help customers exchange data quickly and securely. This way, we increase their competitiveness. Since 1999, we have completed more than 1,000 successful implementations for customers in the transportation and logistics, pharmaceuticals, retail and wholesale industries, among others. Cleo is well known among ECS’s large customer base for their MFT and EDI/Data Integration technology with brand names such as Cleo Clarify, Harmony, LexiCom, and VLTrader.

Cleo’s new office in Hoorn will be located at the former ECS location – De Factorij 47C, 1689 AK Zwaag, Hoorn, The Netherlands. Telephone will remain +31 229 574331. For general information, contact sales@cleo.com or ecsupdate@ecsinternational.eu.

About Cleo Integration Cloud

Cleo Integration Cloud (CIC) is a cloud-based integration platform, purpose-built to design, build, operate, and optimize critical ecosystem integration processes. The CIC platform brings end-to-end integration visibility across API, MFT, EDI, and non-EDI integrations, giving technical and business users the confidence to rapidly onboard trading partners, enable integration between applications, and accelerate revenue-generating business processes. On the platform, businesses have the choice of self-service, managed services, or a blended approach – ensuring complete flexibility and control over their B2B integration strategy.

About Cleo

Cleo is an ecosystem integration software company focused on helping businesses deliver on their commitments, ensuring each customer’s potential is realized through solutions that make it easy to discover and create value through the movement and integration of B2B enterprise data. Cleo gives customers strategic, “outside-in” visibility into the critical end-to-end business flows happening across their ecosystems of partners and customers, marketplaces, and internal cloud and on-premise applications. Our solutions empower teams to drive business agility, accelerate onboarding, facilitate the modernization of key business processes, and capture new revenue streams by reimagining and remastering their digital ecosystem through robust application, B2B, and data integration technologies. For more information, visit www.cleo.com or call +1.815.282.7695.