What Protinus does

Protinus IT B.V. is a privately held Dutch managed sourcing provider founded in 2010 and headquartered in Houten, Netherlands, operating as part of the Phast Group. The company acts as a vendor- and brand-independent intermediary that connects organizations with specialized IT partners across hardware, software, staffing, Smart City, and Multicloud domains via a network of more than 2,500 partners, which the company describes as the largest in the Netherlands. Its core offering, Managed Sourcing, follows a Find–Connect–Enhance methodology and is supported by four adjacent products and services: Software Broker (license procurement and administration), Smart Procurement (process optimization from request to purchase), the itshop.nl consumer-facing e-commerce platform, and the Protinus customer portal for contract and order visibility.

The business model is a mix of managed services fees, hardware and software pass-through sales, and brokerage/transaction fees on procurement contracts, with all pricing conducted on a quote/tender basis rather than published list pricing. GTM is sales-led with direct enterprise and government account teams, supplemented by inside sales for mid-market clients, channel leverage through the partner network, and competitive bidding for public-sector framework agreements. The primary customer segment is Dutch government and public sector (municipalities, provinces, national bodies such as NS), with secondary exposure to healthcare (via the Intrakoop cooperative), education, and private enterprise. Notable 2025 contract activity includes the €90M NS Standard IT Hardware award (potential €180M over 8 years), the €65M IWR workplace-hardware framework, and a €7M/year software broker contract with Provincie Noord-Brabant.

In October 2025 Protinus underwent a founder succession, with Sarah Herzet (COO) and Niels Goderie (CSO), together with Bertrand Launay (EVP), assuming daily management from co-founders Vincent Verbiesen and Marcel Hofstra, coinciding with a 15th-anniversary corporate rebrand. The company holds a deep certification stack relevant to Dutch and EU public procurement, including ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 14001, EcoVadis Platinum, CyberVadis Platinum, CO2 Performance Ladder Level 5, MVO Prestatieladder Level 4, and PSO Level 2. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Protinus

Legal name

Protinus IT B.V.

Website

https://protinus.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Protinus IT B.V. is a Dutch independent IT managed sourcing provider, founded in 2010, that connects Dutch government, healthcare, education, and enterprise customers with 2,500+ specialized IT partners across hardware, software, staffing, and cloud domains via procurement, software brokerage, and e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IT Procurement Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045)

akta.pro primary industry

IT Procurement, Lifecycle & Asset Management Services (BPAEABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vendor & Contract Management (Software/Cloud) (BPAEAOAD), IT Asset Lifecycle Services (Procure-to-Retire) (BPAEAOAF), Procurement Systems Administration (ERP/P2P Tools Support) (BPAAAJAO)

Keywords

• IT procurement services
• Managed sourcing services
• Software brokerage
• IT hardware supply
• IT partner network

Headquarters

HQ city

Maastricht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Managed Sourcing Services: Core revenue stream from managed sourcing services that connect organizations with IT partners for hardware, software, human skills, and IT practices. The company acts as an intermediary providing procurement, sourcing, and contract management services.
2. Hardware Sales: Sales of IT hardware including workplace equipment, servers, and storage solutions through its partner network and itshop.nl e-commerce platform.
3. Software Sales and Brokerage: Software licensing procurement and brokerage services, including standard software acquisition, contract administration, and portal services. Won multiple software broker contracts with government entities.
4. IT Consulting and Advisory: Professional services including besparingsadvies (savings advisory), Smart Procurement services, and implementation support for IT procurement optimization.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Protinus IT operates as an independent managed sourcing and procurement intermediary for IT solutions, connecting organizations with a network of 2,500+ specialized IT partners across hardware, software, staffing, Smart City, and Multicloud domains. The company provides vendor-independent procurement services including software brokerage, hardware supply, and Smart Procurement process optimization for government, healthcare, education, and private enterprise clients in the Netherlands, without vendor lock-in.

Product overview

Protinus IT operates as an independent IT managed sourcing provider, offering a unified portfolio of procurement and management services. The core offering is Managed Sourcing, which combines the company's Find-Connect-Enhance methodology with access to the largest partner network in the Netherlands for hardware, software, staffing, and specialized IT solutions. Supporting this core service are the IT Shop (itshop.nl) consumer-facing webshop, Software Broker services for license management, Smart Procurement process optimization, and the Protinus Portal for customer account access. The company is part of Phast Group and is headquartered in Houten, Netherlands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Managed Sourcing The core methodology of Protinus IT that connects organizations with IT solutions through a network of 2,500+ specialized partners, offering independent procurement services for hardware, software, staffing, Smart City and Multicloud solutions. Designed for large and medium-sized organizations seeking vendor-independent IT sourcing.
• IT Shop (itshop.nl) An e-commerce webshop platform at www.itshop.nl for purchasing IT hardware, software and related products directly. Accessible to customers and partners for online procurement of IT products.
• Software Broker Service Managed procurement and administration of standard software licenses, including advisory services, contract and license administration, and usage reporting for efficient, compliant and cost-effective software purchasing. Targets organizations requiring centralized software license management.
• Smart Procurement A service that helps organizations optimize their procurement process from idea and internal request through to purchasing, focused on smarter and more efficient procurement workflows. Targets organizations seeking to streamline IT procurement processes.
• Protinus Portal An online customer portal providing access to contract data, order management, and account information behind secure login credentials. Designed for existing Protinus IT customers to manage their IT procurement activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully won €90 million NS contract for Standard IT Hardware with potential €180 million total value over 8 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• De ConnectiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2025Extended partnership for software delivery to De Connectie, the ICT operational partner for the municipalities of Arnhem, Renkum, and Rheden. Protinus provides software and associated advice.
• IntrakoopcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2025Renewed partnership with Intrakoop, the healthcare purchasing cooperative. Collaboration aims to provide agile ICT solutions to the healthcare sector, continuing successful cooperation for healthcare IT procurement.
• TechMeUpcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 March 2025Partnership with TechMeUp, the foundation that financially supports IT talents in their education. Protinus IT contributes financially and provides its network to create opportunities for future IT professionals. Announced during the 10th Dutch IT Channel Awards gala.
• DigiCorp LabsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Web3 and cyber resilience solutions. DigiCorp Labs develops blockchain and Web3 technologies that enable government agencies, public sector organizations, and healthcare institutions to create robust digital infrastructures. Protinus distributes these innovative technologies.
• Phast GroupcoreOthersProtinus IT is part of Phast Group. The company operates from its headquarters in Houten as a Dutch company with strong local anchoring, while benefiting from global knowledge, scale advantages, and an even broader partner network through international organization membership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Computacenter: UK-listed European IT infrastructure integrator and reseller. Comparable as a procurement-and-lifecycle partner for enterprise and public-sector clients across Europe, with overlap to Protinus' hardware supply and managed sourcing for organizations like NS and Dutch ministries.
• Insight Enterprises: Global Fortune 500 IT solutions provider offering hardware, software, and services procurement to enterprise and public-sector clients. Overlaps with Protinus on the hardware and managed-sourcing side, though Insight is far broader with its own services, cloud, and integration capabilities.
• Ingram Micro: World's largest IT distributor (now privately held by Platinum Equity), providing hardware, software, and supply-chain services to resellers and end customers globally. Adjacent competitor in IT hardware and software distribution, relevant for large multinational and public-sector contracts.
• Bechtle AG: Germany's largest independent IT provider, offering IT procurement, software licensing, and managed services across DACH and increasingly broader Europe. Comparable to Protinus in vendor-independent managed IT sourcing for the public sector, with substantially larger scale and an extensive branch network.
• ALSO Group: European IT distribution and services platform serving resellers, MSPs, and vendors across hardware, software, and cloud. Adjacent incumbent that competes for the same Dutch and broader EMEA public-sector procurement opportunities, particularly in hardware distribution analogous to Protinus' itshop.nl channel.

Direct peers

• SoftwareOne: Swiss-headquartered pure-play IT software and cloud sourcing/procurement services firm. Direct competitor to Protinus' Software Broker and Managed Sourcing offering; both serve as vendor-independent intermediaries helping enterprises and public-sector customers procure and manage software and cloud licenses at scale.
• SHI International: Large US-based IT solutions and software licensing reseller offering procurement services to enterprise and public-sector clients. Closely comparable in the Software Broker / managed-sourcing business, though much larger and primarily North America-anchored.
• Comparex (SoftwareOne): Long-standing software license broker now fully merged into SoftwareOne; historically a close analog in European public-sector software procurement, including wins in Dutch and German government accounts, the same customer profile Protinus serves.

Regional players

• Centralpoint.nl: Dutch IT hardware and software reseller serving business and public-sector buyers. Competes most directly with Protinus' itshop.nl webshop and small-to-mid-market hardware sourcing offering within the Netherlands.
• Wortmann AG: Large German independent IT system house and direct distributor of IT hardware and software to business and public-sector customers. Comparable vendor-independent hardware sourcing model, but primarily Germany-focused with limited direct overlap in the Dutch market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/protinusit
• Xx.com/protinusit

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Protinus