PostNord Strålfors’ acquisition of 21grams has been finalized

In July 2024, Strålfors announced its acquisition of 21grams from Unifiedpost Group (now Banqup Group). As stated then, the transaction was subject to approval from the Swedish competition authority. On May 30th, the Swedish competition authority approved the transaction and as of June 5th Strålfors acquisition of 21grams from Banqup is now finalized.

21grams specializes in delivering customer communication solutions within both digital and physical channels with a strong focus on software solutions and optimization of postage. Strålfors and 21grams complement each other well and both companies have considerable experience in customer communication services. Clear synergy benefits, both in terms of solutions and competencies that strengthen the service offering to customers, are expected to emerge from the transaction. Strålfors intends to continue to sell and service 21grams’ services and offerings in their entirety, including the suite of postage optimization services (e.g iSort).

At the same time, Strålfors and Banqup have signed a strategic commercial partnership regarding digital services in the B2B segment.

“PostNord Strålfors, a full-service provider in the customer communication market, is enhancing its offerings through the acquisition of 21grams and a strategic partnership with Banqup. This collaboration allows us to deliver a significantly wider range of services with a strong Nordic reach. We see PostNord Strålfors and 21grams as a great match to further evolve our offerings within the customer communication management segment, and we will now focus on the integration of 21grams. Additionally, we look forward to getting to know and welcome our new colleagues onboard”, says Ylva Ekborn, Strålfors Group CEO

The exclusive strategic commercial partnership with Banqup will enable Strålfors to offer new B2B services to the Nordic market. It includes:

• Offering e-Invoicing via the Banqup platform to the Nordic market
• Enabling full operability for e-Invoices, in the EU and globally, via the Banqup network
• Be the preferred partner for Banqup e-Invoice offering in the Nordics

“The completion of the 21grams divestment marks another milestone in our strategic transformation into a pure-play SaaS provider and aligns with our focus on growing core digital services whilst also strengthening our balance sheet. Furthermore, the strategic partnership with PostNord Strålfors will create new opportunities, and we look forward to leveraging their extensive network to accelerate the adoption of our Banqup platform across the Nordic markets. I would like to thank our employees in the Nordics for their contributions to our company over the years”, says Nicolas de Beco, CEO of Banqup Group

Transaction details

To strengthen the collaboration and ensure our common strategic goals and interests in the partnership, both parties have committed to significant investments during the coming years. This financial commitment aims to ensure the future sustainability and success of the partnership, providing the necessary resources for continued growth, innovation, and adaptation to evolving market dynamics.

The approval from the Swedish competition authority is conditional on certain commitments. This includes conditions from a governance perspective to ensure a separation between Strålfors and PostNord. Consequently, this means that Strålfors Group’s CEO cannot be part of PostNord’s Group Leadership Team and representatives from PostNord in Strålfors’ Board of Directors will be replaced. Ylva Ekborn will continue as Strålfors Group CEO and continue to report to Annemarie Gardshol, President and Group CEO PostNord.

Media contact PostNord Strålfors

Rebecka Mathers
Head of Communications
PostNord Strålfors Group
rebecka.mathers@stralfors.se

Media contact Banqup Group

Alex Nicoll
Investor Relations
Unifiedpost Group
alex.nicoll@unifiedpost.com

More information