Smallpdf, the Zurich-based document and contract management solution provider and one of the world’s top 200 most visited websites with over 50 million active users every month, has acquired Swiss-owned PDF Tools for a cash consideration of $30 million. This acquisition comes at a time of hyper-growth for Smallpdf, solidifying its position as a leading force in the $22 billion global document management market.
PDF Tools is a best-in-class document processing technology provider founded in 2002 and is focused on superior PDF output quality and security. Their unmatched document processing capabilities, especially compression and their blue-chip software solutions, as well as their Swiss standard of engineering has made them the top choice for over 5,000 clients in 60 countries, including Smallpdf, Lufthansa, UBS, and Swiss Life, among others.
“We’re very proud and excited to announce this milestone in Smallpdf’s journey,” says Dennis Just, CEO of Smallpdf. “PDF Tools has been a superb partner of ours over the years. Their market-leading document rendering, manipulation, and conversion solutions have been the backbone of Smallpdf’s most used products. Joining forces will help us accelerate our product roadmap to make our easy-to-use document management software solutions more powerful and deliver even more value to our current and future customers.”
Since its founding in 2013, Smallpdf has expanded from a single PDF compression tool to a suite of over 20 PDF tools with over a billion lifetime users from every country in the world. The company has more than doubled its staff in the past year and now counts over 90 employees between its Zurich, Belgrade, and newly opened Barcelona offices. This acquisition will strengthen the company’s core offerings and opportunities at vertical integration, besides strengthening expansion opportunities into new market segments and product lines.
The acquisition was made possible because of Smallpdf’s strong positive cash flow generation. This comes at a time of high growth and expansion for Smallpdf and will help cement the company’s position as a global leader in PDF management and technology. PDF Tools’ suite of solutions will complement Smallpdf’s vision to offer a comprehensive document management solution to its users and clients.
Hans Bärfuss, Founder and CEO of PDF Tools, notes, “This is the next big step for PDF Tools and we are confident that it will bring more value to our clients and employees. I will be transitioning to an advisory role and I’m happy to see that PDF Tools will be safe in the hands of another Swiss success story with similar values to ours. As both companies believe in quality products delivered through Swiss excellence, we expect a smooth transition and compatibility in terms of work ethic and culture fit with Smallpdf.”
Building on its vigorous growth and expansion, Smallpdf is actively looking to fill several new vacancies in Zurich, Belgrade, and Barcelona. Having adopted a hybrid working model to suit everyone, the company also offers a host of other benefits to support a colorful and fulfilling work experience. Click here to view all current vacancies.
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