European Partner Firms Form Umbrella Company

The shareholders of northern European research firms RAIT, Dive and Intra have agreed to move the companies under a new holding company called STATCO. Ownership and branding of the individual businesses will remain unchanged.

RAIT is a Baltic States-based research firm which in 2017 acquired much of GfK's custom research operations in the region, and last month took a 51% stake in CX research technology firm Synopticom; Dive is a mystery shopping specialist; and Intra a panel operator.

STATCO will be led by CEO Kaspar Jänes (pictured), who served as CEO of RAIT before leaving to take up the same role at Intra in 2019 - and earlier also served as Chairman of Dive. Jänes says of the new formation: 'The aim is to create a roof organization that would simplify discussions with clients and partners who are interested in the wider scope of STATCO businesses. The companies will keep operating under their respective brands and there are no plans for individual rebranding'. All STATCO divisions have pursued an active acquisition strategy, and Jänes says being part of STATCO will help discussions with both potential partners and financers.

Dovilė Končak, CEO of RAIT, says the arrangement will give the firms added attraction 'in a highly competitive sector', while Dive Chief Exec Kerli Soosaar comments: 'As a mystery shopping company, Dive is operating a specialist market research brand - this sometimes seems niche for clients looking for a holistic approach. As STATCO we will make around 10 million euros revenue in 2022, this means that together we are one of the largest multinational research players in Northen Europe'.

Between them the companies employ more than 150 people in 8 markets in Northern Europe/ The holding group web site is at www.statcogroup.com , while the three partners are at www.dive-group.com , www.raitgroup.com and www.intraresearch.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.