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UK acquisitions fuel Advania growth
Channel player shares numbers for FY ’24, with the business set up to repeat that performance again this year
Advania has shared details of a strong fiscal year, fuelled by its ability to deliver security, artificial intelligence (AI) and software services to customers across Europe.
The Microsoft specialist indicated that it delivered 11.3% net revenue growth in the year ended 31 December 2024, with acquisitions made during the period contributing to that growth. In terms of the UK, the channel player was active on the M&A front last year, picking up CCS Media and Servium.
Advania also cultivated organic growth and invested in cloud, security and AI, with gross revenue across the business improving by 15.6%.
The firm has made no secret of its ambitions to become a powerhouse serving customers across Northern Europe, and identified greater penetration in the mid-market as one of the successes of 2024.
“Our priority is to help our customers navigate complexity with confidence,” said Hege Støre, CEO of Advania. “We’ve grown by staying close to our customers and investing in the capabilities they need most – cyber security, AI and scalable IT services. Increasingly, our mid-market customers are turning to us as their end-to-end IT partner. They want to ensure operational stability while preparing for the next wave of digital transformation – and we’re uniquely equipped to help them do both.”
The firm reported that the period also saw the business secure several long-term managed service contracts and continued to support sustainability efforts on its journey to a goal of net-zero emissions by 2045.
“This year’s financial performance reflects the resilience and scalability of our business model,” said Henrik Schibler, chief financial officer of Advania. “We achieved 11.3% net revenue growth in 2024, with strong profitability and consistent cash conversion. On a pro forma basis, including the full-year effect of our 2024 acquisitions, revenue would have reached SEK 18.4bn. With these businesses now fully integrated and an improved capital structure following our successful debt repricing in the first quarter of 2025, we are entering the year with solid momentum, and the flexibility to support continued investment and long-term growth.”
Leadership structure
As part of that integration, the firm outlined a fresh leadership structure in the UK in February. Under the changes, the role held by James Hardy, chief commercial officer (CCO) of Advania UK, was expanded to the whole business, with a brief to oversee the combined strategy, pre-sales and supplier alliances. He was previously CCO at CCS Media.
The former CEO of Servium, Paul Barlow, stepped into the chief revenue officer role at Advania UK. He was CEO for 15 years, and comes with a wealth of experience, which he will bring to his role of looking after client relationships, as well as overseeing the marketing and positioning of the Advania brand in the UK.
Advania ended the year with 4,800 staff, an increase of 6.7% including acquisitions, and managed to keep customer churn down to 3%, underlining its commitment to delivering high levels of satisfaction.
Last month, Advania restructured its loans, reducing interest levels and extending the facility to support growth.
Speaking at the time, Schibler said the business was looking to continue its strategy of investing in growth throughout 2025.
“By optimising our capital structure and reducing our financing costs, we’re enhancing our ability to invest in innovative solutions and strategic growth initiatives,” he said. “This transaction gives us additional flexibility to continue our journey of creating sustainable value for our clients and shareholders.”
