SCADA International continues growth journey by acquiring Next Consult

SCADA International acquires grid modeling & power system integration specialist, Next Consult, its second strategic acquisition in 2024. The continued expansion reflects that SCADA International, the leading provider of intelligent control and digital services to the renewable energy sector, is set to accelerate its ambitious growth journey.

SCADA International strengthens its portfolio of software and digital services with the acquisition of Next Consult. In January, SCADA International completed the acquisition of Sweet Geeks, an IT and OT consultancy firm in the energy industry. The Next Consult acquisition is the company’s second this year and is part of its increased strategic focus to accelerate the green transition by providing end-to-end digital services and solutions to its customers. Next Consult will remain an independent pillar within SCADA International’s portfolio.

Next Consult, through its grid modeling, simulation, and integration services, is helping customers tackle grid integration challenges, which is one of the main bottlenecks to the green transition.  Next Consult’s offerings encompass grid modeling and simulations, power plant design, as well as proprietary energy management and optimization systems for hybrid plants. Thus, giving their clients access to unique tools that help power plant owners and operators maximize their return on investment by supporting their control and asset management strategies.

As the rate of electrification and renewable energy penetration increase, the requirement for intelligent and flexible power plant controls becomes more important, leading to a high demand for the highly specialized competencies that Next Consult brings. Thus, integrating Next Consult with SCADA International’s software and digital services will support clients in maximizing the value of their investments, through integrated end-to-end offerings:

“We are thrilled to have reached this agreement with Next Consult, as we now have a new set of capabilities that goes very well hand in hand with our current offerings. Next Consult is a front-runner in complex power plant modeling and right-sizing, and this unique skill set will enable us to help customers at a much earlier stage of their power plant’s lifecycle, which is necessary for realizing our mission of empowering the green energy transition. It fits our strategy and ambitions very well” says Thomas Bagger, CEO of SCADA International.

And the ambitions for SCADA International are high. The company reached a 54% increase in turnover in 2023, and the expectations, along with further acquisitions, are to exceed this impressive growth in the coming years. As the world’s energy system becomes more electrified and digitized, the clients require flexible and intelligent solutions. Thomas Bagger explains:

“The market for hybridization is growing fast and is only expected to accelerate over the coming years, which is escalating the complexity and demands of plant management for our customers. I believe we now, as a group, have the full set of competencies that are increasingly relevant to support our customers with their hybrid growth ambitions. It is exciting to see where this can take us.”

Excitement can also be felt at Next Consult. The company, which was founded in 2016, has experienced an impressive 30% annual growth in the last few years, with an even more impressive NPS score of 80 among its biggest clients. For Jens Due, Director and Co-founder at Next Consult, this new partnership presents the perfect opportunity to build upon the success already attained:

“For the last eight years, our main focus has been to establish our distinctive set of technical capabilities through a fantastic team of experts. Now, a new journey awaits, and we cannot wait to join forces with SCADA International and take our specialized expertise and services to an international level – both for our existing clients and upcoming opportunities.”

Erik Bundgaard Poulsen, the other Director and Co-founder at Next Consult, continues:

“We’ve been cooperating with SCADA International’s excellent team for the last year on multiple power plant projects. We quickly found common ground and realized that we have overlapping ambitions while still tackling the challenges of the green transition from different perspectives. This means that our products and services complement each other perfectly, and together, we can bring a stronger and wider offering to the market.”

As a part of the acquisition, the two co-founders will reinvest and continue in their managing roles. Skovgaard Energy, who has been a strategic investor in Next Consult, will no longer be a shareholder as part of the acquisition, but will continue its many years of collaboration with SCADA International and Next Consult.

The transaction will be completed within the next few weeks.