In 2015, my co-founder Víctor Pérez and I launched Woffu in Barcelona with a clear mission: to create a cloud platform that would optimize time management, streamline vacation and absence requests, and make life easier for both employees and employers. We grew quickly, becoming a leading provider of time and attendance software in Spain, with our solution used daily by 130,000 employees at nearly 1,500 companies.
We were a Spanish success story, but we had global ambitions. We knew our technology was world-class, but breaking out of our home market and getting the attention of major international acquirers was our next great challenge. We needed a partner who could help us make that leap—a partner who could put our Barcelona-based company on the global M&A map.
To achieve our international ambitions, we needed an advisor with a global perspective and a proven ability to run a competitive process that would attract the right kind of attention. In the conversations we had with Venero, they were calm, collected, and sophisticated in their answers. Of all the banks we interviewed, I felt the most comfortable turning over the story and face of our business to their team.
The Venero team understood that to attract a strategic giant, we needed more than a good story; we needed a flawless, professionally managed process. They meticulously prepared our company for the international stage, highlighting our strong market position, our robust technology, and our impressive client base. They then orchestrated a competitive process that was designed to engage the most motivated buyers in Europe and beyond. Their approach was disciplined, strategic, and relentless.
Venero did a great job running an organized, competitive process. Following discussions with multiple parties, Visma, a European leader in mission-critical business software, emerged as the ideal partner to help us achieve the international growth we were striving for. The interest from a company of Visma's stature was a powerful validation of everything we had built.
The Venero team has demonstrated unwavering support and provided invaluable guidance throughout the process. Their in-depth sector expertise, deep network relationships and extensive deal experience has been instrumental during this major step in Woffu’s evolution.
Joining Visma was the start of a new phase for us, one filled with enthusiasm and commitment. The opportunities were huge, thanks to the resources and know-how that being part of the Visma Group would provide. Venero’s management of the process was key to this outcome. They did not just find a buyer; they created a competitive dynamic that brought a true industry champion to the table and resulted in a deal that would fuel our ambitious business plan.
Our acquisition by Visma was a transformative moment for Woffu, giving us the backing of an international powerhouse. We are now part of a family that is helping us deliver on our goals faster and more effectively than ever before.
This journey showed us that with the right strategy and the right advisor, a company from Barcelona can command the attention of the world. Venero was the partner who helped make that happen.
Partnering with Venero Capital Advisors proved pivotal in shaping our M&A path, ensuring we maximized value without compromising our vision.
Venero managed the process with a steady hand, ensuring that the strategic value they had helped us articulate was reflected in the final outcome.
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