Datashift acquires the Antwerp-based compliance and data management consultant Data Trust Associates. The partnership strengthens expertise in GDPR, the Data Act, and the AI Act, with both companies joining forces for responsible data projects.
The merger between Datashift and Data Trust Associates marks a strategic move in the European market for data and AI compliance. Both companies are combining their expertise to guide organizations through complex regulations, such as GDPR, the European Data Act, and the AI Act. These regulations place increasingly high demands on companies working with data and artificial intelligence. Nico Huybrechts, CEO of the data and AI consultancy Datashift, emphasizes that successful data projects require a combination of business insight, technical expertise, and legal compliance.
Data Trust Associates, based in Antwerp, has over 30 employees and achieved a turnover of approximately 3.4 million euros in the last financial year. The company will continue to operate as an independent entity. Huybrechts states that this acquisition is the first step in a growth strategy seeking synergies where relevant, but without changing Data Trust Associates’ way of working.
Complementary expertise
Datashift, with offices in Leuven, Mechelen, Ghent and Rotterdam, specializes in the first three aspects of data projects: business context, technical solutions, and organizational implementation. Data Trust Associates adds compliance, regulation, and risk management to the mix. This combination is intended to help organizations execute data projects that are not only technically sound but also legally and ethically responsible.
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The acquisition is also the first for Datashift, which is now growing into an organization of more than 200 employees with a consolidated turnover of over 27 million euros. The new office in Leuven underscores the expansion plans. Huybrechts explains that the collaboration between the two companies will primarily consist of exchanging expertise, with each company maintaining its core competencies.
Growth and European expansion
Datashift aims for a turnover of more than 50 million euros by 2030, with a focus on Belgium, the Netherlands, and eventually Scandinavia and Germany. Strategic partner Finco Private Equity is financially supporting these growth ambitions. Huybrechts emphasizes that future acquisitions must align with the corporate culture and expertise, but must also be able to continue functioning independently.
The acquisition of Data Trust Associates fits within Datashift’s vision to grow into a strategic partner that stands for no-nonsense data-driven impact. Both companies will continue to operate independently but will collaborate where possible to help organizations navigate increasingly complex regulations surrounding data and AI.