It is our birthday!
We wanted to take a moment to stand still for this great milestone and to celebrate our growth & the trust we have received from our customers these last couple of years.
The start of it all
15 years ago, both BlueFinch and ESBD started their journeys in the MFT market. Richard Verkaik started BlueFinch in The Netherlands and Ludovic Lemoine & Jacques started ESBD in France.
ESBD was founded in March 2011 in France by Jacques and Ludovic, with a strong focus on security and configuration management tools on the IBM i platform, addressing critical operational and compliance needs. Over time, this expertise naturally expanded toward secure file transfer and integration projects.
BlueFinch was founded in May the same year as a project organization by Richard in the Netherlands, initially serving one big European bank. The focus was on large IBM i centralisation and banking software migration projects. Only after a few years, this focus shifted more towards integration solutions and expertise. It was during this period that BlueFinch encountered ESBD.
BlueFinch and ESBD first met in Luxembourg during an event around 11 years ago. Working in the same industry but in different countries, they saw an opportunity to team up in the areas of marketing, sales and technology. They soon began working together on projects for several major international clients.
This marked the start all it all. An important step towards closer collaboration.
BBES Groupe : “assemble !”
When you’re doing the same job, why not join forces? This is what ESBD (France), Blackbridge (Italy), BlueFinch (Netherlands) and Systematik (Germany) said to each other at the end of 2019. The aim off BBES Group was to create a major player on the managed file transfer and data integration market in Europe with over 500 clients in 16 countries.
It is quite remarkable to note that Covid has not dampened the motivation of these four companies to work together at the time. Planned for December 2019, the project well and truly materialized in the first months of the year 2020. Obviously, everyone had to review the way they’d planned to meet. The meetings originally were planned in Milan but then organized online due to quarantine. But that didn’t stop the project from succeeding.
BBES Group was officially established in June 2020. This was the start of a new era for these four companies, in which collaboration is the motto.
The merger of ’ESBD and BlueFinch
By this time, it was already clear that BlueFinch and ESBD had the most similarities in terms of companies.
The press release was issued in July 2022: ESBD and BlueFinch announced their merger.
ESBD and BlueFinch shared the same DNA, similar technologies, the same focus on security and reliability, and a strong culture of expertise. Combining forces allowed us to scale while staying true to our values.
The new BlueFinch-ESBD was able to offer a broader range of services and solutions. Thanks to a larger team, we were able to take on larger customers and larger projects with confidence. BlueFinch-ESBD and the membership of the BBES Group gave us a stronger bargaining power and a more powerful and international stature in the market.
And with those customers gained access to a broader pool of experts, extended support capabilities, and stronger resilience. The merger also enabled us to better support multinational projects with consistent quality across Europe.
What did not change, is the local focus on customers and customs. Thanks to our regional teams, customers can still rely on a personal approach and close by expertise, from an operational as well as commercial perspective.
The team that helped us do it
Through the years we have had the chance to grow the businesses thanks to our amazing employees. Both companies started out with a small team, and we’ve managed to grow to about 25 people right now. Besides the challenging work that everyone does, we also think it is important to have a team with whom you can laugh, trust and who work well together. Which is why we are grateful for everyone that has helped us make it into a positive and happy work environment. We’ve asked two members of the team, who have worked with the company since the very beginning about their experience.
Ekron, The first sales hire of BlueFinch
- What made you come work for BlueFinch?
« After many years working as sales in the printing industry, I was looking for an opportunity to broaden my horizons and take on a new challenge. The IT industry had already caught my interest because of its dynamic and international character. BlueFinch came into my path through Richard, whom I already knew, and our discussions about the future of his recently founded company ultimately led to my career change I was looking for. » - What can you say abour the work & culture at the company?
« BlueFinch-ESBD has a flat organisational structure, where collaboration is straightforward and communication across distinct roles is open and direct. » - What are some things that have changed through the years?
« With the company’s growth and multiple offices in Europe, roles and processes have become more professional, dedicated and specialised. This structure is needed to effectively serve our mid-size and enterprise-focused customer base and successfully grow the business further in the future. » - What has stayed the same? ?
« Great and fun colleagues and the open and positive culture. . » - Any other thing you would like to share?
«It’s fantastic to celebrate this 15th birthday and reflect on what we’ve built together. I’m proud of the result and proud to be part of the fantastic BlueFinch-ESBD team. Look forward to the future ahead. »
Stéphanie, the first team member of ESBD
- What made you come to work for BlueFinch/ESBD?
«The founders!
I worked with Jacques for about ten years at a previous company, where Ludovic was also involved as an external partner. After Jacques left, I stayed on at that company for another two years. In 2011, I felt the need to give my professional life a new direction. As I had remained in close contact with Jacques, it felt completely natural to take on this new challenge and join the “ESBD” adventure, which had only started two months earlier.
What particularly appealed to me was the “hands-on” aspect of a small company—having to do a bit of everything—as well as the opportunity to contribute to and experience rapid growth. At the time, I was the very first employee»
- What can you say about the work & culture at the company?
« Despite different cultural backgrounds, the work environment is positive and collaborative. Teams are aligned around a shared goal: success.. » - What are some things that have changed through the years?
« The merger between BlueFinch and ESBD in 2022 was a major milestone for both companies.
It brought a new dimension: new colleagues, a new internal working language, different ways of working, and diverse cultures—all of which we had to learn to embrace and adapt to. » - What has stayed the same?
« The company culture, which has remained deeply empathetic.. » - Is there anything else you would like to share?
« I am proud to have contributed to building this great company.
Looking back at everything we have experienced over the past 15 years is incredible. While 15 years may seem like a long time, my BlueFinch-ESBD journey feels much shorter. Here is to the 20-, 25-, and even 30-year milestones!
What we stand for today
Since the merger we have operated with the shared vision of being a trusted European partner for secure data integration, combining deep technical expertise with a pragmatic, customer-centric mindset. All while enabling stronger economic growth and providing a nice working place for current and future colleagues.
To make this possible we focus on three main pillars.
- Security: Built into everything we do, by design. Security does not only exist in the solutions we offer, but also in our minds and the way we work.
- Reliability: Proven in mission-critical, high-availability environments
- Expertise: Deep, hands-on knowledge built over many years, not just theory
These pillars guide every decision, from architecture choices to day-to-day customer support.
Fifteen years of field experience taught us that trust is built through consistency, transparency, and results. We focus on understanding real constraints and delivering solutions that work in production, not just on paper.
We don’t push one-size-fits-all software. Instead, we listen, challenge when needed, and work together with customers to build solutions that last.
Looking ahead: the next chapter
Looking ahead, we see the company continuing to grow as a European specialist in secure data integration. Strengthening our role in regulated and mission-critical sectors and remaining a long-term partner for customers facing increasing security and compliance challenges.
We are excited to see what the future brings, and we want to thank our customers, partners and everyone that helped build the BlueFinch-ESBD brand to what it is today.
