M&A deals in May in the B2B Services sectors in Australia

2. Virtusa Bolsters Expansion Plans with Acquisition of Mav3rik

Virtusa Corporation, a global leader in digital business strategy, product, and platform engineering, announced the acquisition of Mav3rik, an Australian-owned and operated strategic Salesforce and MuleSoft advisory and implementation partner. Mav3rik is a trusted advisor to numerous Public Sector, healthcare, and enterprises in other verticals throughout the region.  Virtusa’s investment will support Mav3rik’s continued expansion while strengthening Virtusa’s Salesforce capabilities. Mav3rik’s architecture-led approach and technology expertise align closely with Virtusa’s “Engineering First” culture — a shared foundation that will help deliver greater value to clients across industries.

3. Brisbane bid management SaaS Bidhive acquired by AI software firm Responsive

A Brisbane-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company that helps customers streamline competitive bids for contracts has been acquired by AI-powered strategic management software provider Responsive for an undisclosed sum, accelerating the US-based company’s expansion into Australia. Founded in 2017 by Nyree McKenzie and Aaron Godde, Bidhive was born out of a dissatisfaction with bid management processes and systems, with the platform designed to help reduce reliance on spreadsheets and manual input, saving up to 40 per cent on time and duplicated effort. The company offers tender search, contract award search, bid opportunity register, bid/no bid thresholds, proposal management and win/loss outcomes. Industries that use Bidhive’s service include logistics, construction, defence, healthcare, humanitarian assistance, workforce management and regulated professions. Following the acquisition, McKenzie and Godde will join the Responsive team.

4. Triple acquisition sees Count rise up the Oz professional services leaderboard

Accounting and consulting firm Count has added three new businesses to its growing Australian network, expanding its coverage in South Australia, Queensland, and Northern New South Wales. The Gold Coast branch of Count has picked up boutique accounting and finance firms MJG Partnership and Harrison & Harrison on either side of the Tweed-Coolangatta border, while Johnston Grocke has been added in Adelaide. After a brief quiet period, in relative terms, the latest trio of acquisitions follow a flurry of M&A activity executed last year through its equity partnership model, which has helped push the firm’s revenues beyond the $100 million mark. Based in the Gold Coast suburb of Bundall next door to Surfers, MJG specialises in tax planning and business development among a wider suite of accounting services. Founded in 2007, the firm is led by four-decade industry veteran Michael Gibbons, who previously worked at Ernst & Young before setting up and selling his earlier business to failed consolidator Harts

5. Leading environmental firm NGH has officially joined Fyfe

Leading environmental firm NGH has officially joined Fyfe to broaden service offerings, expand project scopes, and create growth opportunities for both companies and their teams. Together, Fyfe and NGH will deliver enhanced, multidisciplinary solutions supported by a team of approximately 650 professionals across 27 offices in Australia. NGH will gain from increased engineering and multidisciplinary expertise, while Fyfe will strengthen its site contamination services by adding more environmental and sustainability services. Both companies share a commitment to core values including respect, integrity, and accountability. They are aligned in their approach to delivering exceptional value to clients and managing projects from development through to execution.

6. Efex snaps up managed cyber security firm Datcom

Managed IT services provider efex has acquired Datcom, a mid-market managed cyber security service provider. Datcom was established in 1997 by Jay Sayed and offers strategic cyber security guidance, tailored infrastructure and operational management. Its clients include Indeed, TerryWhite Chemmart, Finder.com and more. Efex sees the acquisition expanding its capabilities to support “high performing, mid-market businesses in capital cities and rural and regional locations. It will use Datcom to deliver a “more extensive managed services offering to Australian and New Zealand clients with specialisation in professional services, education, healthcare, mining & local government.” Datcom will operate under the efex brand and will retain its existing team of specialists, led by Rube Sayed. This is efex’s fifth acquisition in the last 18 months, joining medical IT solutions provider Medihost Solutions, Canberra-based MSP Wyscom, Geelong-based private cloud and infrastructure services firm WorldMark Corporate Consulting and Adelaide-based IT support and security firm Aish IT. efex was founded in 2013 by CEO Nick Sheehan. It has since expanded from a single office technology solutions reseller to 22 locations across the country with a highly recurring revenue customer base of 7,500 clients.

7. SAGE Group has signed an agreement to be acquired by Tetra Tech

SAGE Group, Australia’s leading industrial automation and digital transformation company, announced today that it has signed an agreement to be acquired by Tetra Tech, Inc., a NASDAQ-listed business and global provider of high-end consulting and engineering services in water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure. Headquartered in Pasadena, California, Tetra Tech is a leading provider of high-end consulting and technology, design and engineering, and program management services. Tetra Tech is a full-service firm with a strong emphasis on water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure. Tetra Tech was founded in 1966 and has more than 30,000 employees and 550 offices worldwide. This includes nearly 2,500 employees in more than 50 offices throughout Australia and New Zealand. This acquisition will expand Tetra Tech’s digital systems solutions to a broader suite of clients and provide advanced electrical and instrumentation design, engineered control systems, cyber security, and cloud integration.

8. Software Combined buys Removify

Software Combined has acquired online reputation management company Removify to support growth and innovation. This marks the tenth acquisition for Software Combined since the software aggregator was established in 2020 and it reflects the company’s strategic approach to support its growth and portfolio diversity. Based in Melbourne, with operations in the US and Europe, Removify helps manage companies’ online reputation, using custom-developed Online Reputation Management (ORM) software. Joining the Software Combined group, Removify will be set up for further growth and will be able to take advantage of Software Combined’s support and strategic advice. Removify provides reputation management including illegitimate review removal. The company also provides a service to collect positive reviews through automated feedback requests. Its systems draw partly on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and have successfully delivered reputational improvement outcomes for thousands of companies globally on commonly accessed, global online platforms.

9. GenusPlus has completed the acquisition of MGC Group Holdings

The Acquisition provides GenusPlus with strategic entry into the rail sector, which has significant growth potential. The Acquisition provides GenusPlus with a strategic entry into the significant rail systems sector. The acquisition equips GenusPlus with the ability to provide specialised safety critical rail systems services (including overhead line equipment, signalling, electrical and communications services) to Tier 1 customers across the metro, mining and freight sectors in WA–an offering which is highly complementary to GenusPlus’ other service divisions. The upfront consideration for the acquisition was funded through internal cash reserves and is expected to be immediately earnings accretive for GenusPlus.

10. AMCS Deepens Australian Market Presence with Acquisition of Mandalay Technologies

AMCS, the leader in Performance Sustainability, today announced the acquisition of Mandalay Technologies, an Australia headquartered provider of modular cloud-based weighbridge and data management solutions for the waste and resource recovery industry.  This acquisition marks a key milestone in AMCS’s growth strategy, reaching a combined footprint of over 360 mission-driven team members in the region. This significant presence enables AMCS to continue providing solutions, services, and support that empower its customer base across municipal, commercial, and residential waste management sectors to achieve operational efficiency and environmental responsibility. Mandalay Technologies is a leading provider of software and data management solutions for the waste and resource recovery (WARR) industry in Australia. Offering a comprehensive suite of products, Councils can streamline facility data capture, manage waste entitlements effectively, and gain valuable insights into customer’s waste behaviours.

11.   AUSIEX acquires FIIG in transformative move
Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. (NRI) is pleased to announce that AUSIEX has entered into an agreement with FIIG Holdings Limited (the holding company of FIIG Securities Limited) to acquire 100% of FIIG’s issued shares and commence the process of making it a wholly owned subsidiary of AUSIEX by the end of June 2025. AUSIEX joined the NRI Group in May 2021 and provides a market leading wholesale trading platform and outsourced service for execution, clearing and settlement of domestic and international cash equities, and exchange traded options as well as portfolio administration. The AUSIEX platform is built using proprietary software, including NRI’s I-STAR/GV back-office solution. AUSIEX provides value-added services to major financial institutions, financial advisers, family offices, institutional investors, self-managed super funds and other wholesale and HNWI investors in Australia. FIIG is Australia’s largest specialist fixed income provider with over $4.5bn of funds under advice and provides investors with direct access to bond markets and a range of term deposits and other cash solutions. AUSIEX CEO Patrick Salis says the transaction will allow the AUSIEX business to expand its range of products and services to meet the wider needs of traders, advisers and investors.

12. CERTIFER strengthens its presence in Australia with the acquisition of SCG

CERTIFER, a subsidiary of the Apave Group and leader in certification and technical assistance in the field of guided transport, announces today the acquisition of Strategic Connections Group (SCG), a Melbourne-based engineering and compliance consultancy specialising in Project Engineering, System Engineering and Safety Assurance (SESA) for the Rail Industry. This acquisition marks a significant expansion of the CERTIFER footprint in Australia, establishing a new office in Melbourne and adding 20 highly skilled professionals to the team. Founded in 2009, SCG has built an excellent reputation for its expertise in engineering, supply chain management, project management, safety compliance and innovative business support services, primarily in the Rolling Stock and Operations & Maintenance domains. This new Melbourne arm is a key addition to CERTIFER’s centre of excellence in rolling stock, reflecting SCG’s deep expertise and leadership in rolling stock engineering, systems integration, and maintenance lifecycle support.