Drake Star Acts as Exclusive Financial Advisor to aconso and Keensight on the Acquisition of Centric Germany

Munich | April 02^nd, 2026 – aconso, a leading AI-powered player in HR DMS, today announced the acquisition of Centric Germany (“Centric”, the German subsidiary of Centric Group). Backed by Keensight Capital, one of Europe’s leading private equity managers dedicated to pan-European Growth Buyout investments, the transaction brings together Centric’s deep SAP document management and compliance expertise with aconso’s vendor-agnostic HR DMS platform.

Drake Star acted as exclusive financial advisor to aconso and Keensight on this transaction.

aconso delivers secure, reliable end-to-end document management for organizations across all industries. Its platform integrates seamlessly with leading HR systems, including SAP SuccessFactors and Workday, empowering HR teams to modernize their document processes with flexibility and confidence.

Centric is a recognized specialist in SAP HCM and SAP SuccessFactors, delivering SAP-based HR extensions and tools on the SAP Business Technology Platform. The company serves more than 850 customers worldwide.

By uniting Centric’s SAP-native HR solutions with aconso’s secure DMS platform, the combination gives customers a richer, more integrated set of capabilities - spanning document management, audit, payroll compliance and master data verification - alongside aconso’s existing platform offering. Together, the two companies will help HR teams manage growing volumes of sensitive data, build more scalable and secure document workflows, and meet increasingly stringent compliance requirements, including GDPR.

Ulrich Jänicke, CEO of aconso, commented: "We’re delighted to bring together the expertise of aconso and Centric Germany. This combination deepens our support for document-centric HR processes and compliance across multiple HCM environments. Centric will significantly enhance our position within the SAP ecosystem and strengthen our presence in the DACH region. We are pleased to have once again collaborated with the Drake Star team. Their extensive HR Tech expertise and network enabled a highly successful outcome of this process."

Jens-Peter Hess, Managing Director, Centric Germany added: "Joining aconso marks an exciting new chapter. We share a strong commitment to quality, data protection and long-term customer partnerships. By combining our SAP-based document management and compliance expertise with aconso’s leading platform, we can deliver even greater value to our customers."

Stanislas de Tinguy, Partner at Keensight Capital, concluded: "We are proud to support aconso with this strategic acquisition. aconso operates in a growing HR technology market where compliance, automation and data security are critical. This combination strengthens its market position and supports its next phase of growth. A special thanks goes to Drake Star for their highly valuable support throughout the entire process, combining deep HR Tech expertise with their strong execution capabilities."

Following the acquisition, Jens-Peter Hess and Steven Wernike, Managing Directors at Centric Germany, will assume senior leadership roles within the group.

Ralf Philipp Hofmann, Managing Partner & Co-Founder of Drake Star, said: "We are delighted to have worked once again with aconso and Keensight Capital – a reflection of strong collaboration and trusted relationships. This transaction combines two market-leading platforms, enhancing scalability, security, and integration for HR teams managing sensitive data and evolving compliance requirements. The combined platform is ideally positioned to drive future innovation and deliver lasting value to its customers."

Pablo Lundershausen, Vice President and HR Tech expert at Drake Star, added: "The acquisition of Centric Germany strengthens aconso’s leading position in the HR DMS market. By adding deep SAP expertise and established customer base, aconso extends its reach across the HR Tech ecosystem and strengthens its foundation for international expansion beyond the DACH region – a strategically important next step for continued growth. We are pleased to have advised aconso on this transaction and look forward to following their journey ahead."

Drake Star Team: Ralf Philipp Hofmann, Pablo Lundershausen, Roman Bauer

Inquiries

For further inquiries, please contact:

Ralf Philipp Hofmann

Managing Partner & Co-Founder | Drake Star

ralf.hofmann@drakestar.com

About aconso

aconso empowers more than 600 HR teams globally to prioritize their company’s most valuable assets - the employees - while creating and managing 1 billion HR documents for more than 6 million employees annually. Founded in 2001, aconso invented the digital personnel file and set new standards for digitizing and automating HR processes, becoming the market and innovation leader for cloud software in HR document management. aconso has offices in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and recently launched in the United States with an office in Delaware. aconso partners and integrates with the leading employee management software providers, including Workday, SAP Success Factors and ServiceNow.

For more information, visit: www.aconso.com

About Centric Germany

As a specialist in SAP HCM and SAP SuccessFactors, Centric Germany has been focusing on enhancing SAP systems for over ten years. More than 850 companies worldwide rely on solutions from the Centric portfolio, which includes audit and compliance tools, HR document processes, and SAP SuccessFactors consulting. As a Sell, Service, and Build partner, Centric Germany offers some of the most successful products in the SAP Store and is proud to have been recognized by SAP as a “Spotlight+ Apps” partner.

For more information, visit: www.centric-hr-solutions.com

About Keensight Capital

Keensight Capital (“Keensight”), one of the leading European Growth Buyout firms, is committed to supporting entrepreneurs as they implement their growth strategies. With over 25 years of experience and more than €8bn of assets under management, Keensight Capital’s team of seasoned professionals leverages their differentiated private equity experience to invest in profitably growing companies generating revenues in the range of €10 million to €400 million. Drawing on its expertise in the Technology and Healthcare sectors, Keensight identifies the best investment opportunities in Europe and works closely with the management teams, providing capital, strategic guidance and operational support. Keensight operates in more than 90 countries across the globe with a presence in Paris, London, Boston, and Singapore.

For more information, visit: www.keensight.com

About Drake Star

Drake Star is an award-winning global tech investment bank that has completed over 500 transactions since 2003. The Drake Star global team of experienced professionals and senior advisors across offices in New York, Munich, London, Paris, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berlin, and Dubai* focuses on mergers & acquisitions and corporate finance services worldwide in Software/SaaS, Artificial Intelligence, HR Tech, Digital Services, FinTech, Digital Media, Industrial Tech, Consumer & Retail Tech and Mobility & Sustainability.

Drake Star is the marketing name for the global investment bank Drake Star Partners Limited and its subsidiaries and affiliates. In the USA, all securities are transacted through Drake Star Securities LLC. In the USA, Drake Star Securities LLC is regulated by FINRA and is a member of SIPC. Drake Star UK Limited (FRN 942020) is an appointed representative of Razlin Ltd (FRN 730805), which is authorized and regulated by the FCA. © 2026 Drake Star Partners Limited.

*Partner Office