Allurity, a European group of cybersecurity service providers, has acquired the Croatian cybersecurity company Infigo IS. This news reached all domestic business media last week. Infigo was founded in 2005, has operated independently for twenty years, and with its entry into the Allurity group, which becomes its wholly-owned subsidiary, it will now have easier access to partners in other European markets as well as new technologies. This news prompted us to speak with Infigo’s management board members Saša Jušić, Hrvoje Šegudović, and Bojan Ždrnja, whom we caught on a rainy Monday in their office in New Zagreb. The leaders of Infigo will enter the ownership structure of the Swedish group through this acquisition, and they revealed to us what prompted the acquisition, the current challenges in the cybersecurity sector in Croatia and the world, and their plans for the future.
Last week was marked by the news that Infigo IS was acquired by the Swedish Allurity group. How long did the negotiations last?
Šegudović: – The negotiations have lasted more than a year from the initial contact to today. We successfully concluded them, and I think we are all satisfied because it gives us the opportunity to take a step forward.
How did you decide on this step?
Šegudović: – There are two main reasons for this decision. First, we have a company that is doing very well, and we have been very successful over the last twenty years, not only in Croatia and the region but also in international projects. We have clients from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North America, but to truly be in a market, we needed to be locally present. The European Union is anything but a single market. We wanted to expand into the countries of clients with whom we have managed to do some work, and we usually stay there, but having one client in one country does not mean you are truly present in that country. For years, we have considered how we could expand, and we even opened subsidiaries in foreign markets, but all of that is risky and takes a lot of time, and the outcome is uncertain. Therefore, one of the most important reasons was that within the Allurity group, we will have reach across the entire European Union or at least in a larger part of it. At the same time, of course, we will not forget our existing clients; we still want to provide them with quality and comprehensive services. The second reason is that the cybersecurity market, which was a niche until a few years ago, is now very large. There is a high demand for security solutions, and now this market is in focus, with significant investments being made in it. We had already decided not to forcefully seek investors, but that if good opportunities arise, we would certainly talk and see if we could reach an agreement that would be mutually beneficial, allowing us to achieve what we want and continue forward while ensuring that the investor is a partner, not just an investor.
Did you have other options to consider?
Šegudović: – In the last three to five years, many have knocked on our door. We immediately rejected some offers, while we discussed others, which helped us understand the investment market. I believe that after everything, we chose the best possible option we had in the last five years.
And you remain your own? I mean the name, logo…?
Jušić: – Yes, everything remains the same. The management remains the same, the brand and employees as well. The services remain the same, and hopefully even better. I would return to the previous question. In a year of negotiations, we had the opportunity to get to know the Allurity group well. We had a vision and a goal that we wanted to achieve through collaboration. In that year, we saw what companies make up that group, we saw the other side. During that period, we truly got to know what awaits us, and I believe that in the end, it will be successful.
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