Founded in 2010 by Bertrand Bailly, afarax is one of Belgium’s leading IT consulting firms specialising in the recruitment and placement of independent consultants. Since its inception, the company has experienced strong growth, supporting major corporations across the banking, insurance, telecommunications, energy and industrial sectors in their digital transformation projects. Its areas of expertise notably include Cloud, Data & AI Engineering, cybersecurity, as well as strategy, governance and project management.
For more than fifteen years, afarax has been connecting highly qualified independent consultants with strategic, high-value projects. Its mission is to help companies accelerate their transformation while providing leading independent experts with ambitious and sustainable career opportunities.
Founded in 2016 by Christophe De Becdelievre, LeHibou has become one of France’s leading intermediaries between IT freelancers and large corporations in less than a decade. Through a premium platform combining technology, industry expertise and personalised support, the Group provides access to a community of more than 140,000 independent consultants and supports organisations in their digital transformation projects.
Selected for the French Tech FT120 programme in 2023 and 2024, before joining the prestigious French Tech Next40 in 2025, LeHibou has delivered sustained growth, reaching €150 million in revenue in 2025. With operations in France, Belgium and Mauritius, the Group continues to pursue an ambitious development strategy, notably illustrated by the acquisition of Adonys Security in 2025 to further strengthen its cybersecurity expertise.
With more than 110 employees, 1,500 consultants currently on assignment and a target of €200 million in revenue in 2026, LeHibou continues to pursue its ambition of becoming one of Europe’s leading technology freelancing players.
The combination of afarax and LeHibou is fully aligned with this strategy of growth and European expansion. It will enable both companies to combine their expertise, networks and know-how to create a leading player in IT consulting and technology freelancing in Europe. This alliance will further strengthen their positions in the Belgian and French markets, while providing broader access to new clients, a larger pool of expert consultants and larger-scale projects.
For afarax, this transaction marks the beginning of a new chapter in its development. By joining the LeHibou Group, the company will benefit from enhanced commercial, technological and operational capabilities, enabling it to accelerate its growth, broaden its service offering and provide both clients and consultants with a wider ecosystem, greater opportunities and an enhanced ability to support the most ambitious transformation projects.
As part of this transaction, I-Deal Development acted as exclusive M&A advisor to afarax’s founder, shareholder and CEO. The firm advised its client throughout every stage of the process, from transaction preparation and the management of a competitive process through to negotiations and completion, with the objective of identifying the strategic partner best positioned to support the company’s long-term development.
“After more than fifteen years of building and developing afarax, joining forces with LeHibou represents a major milestone in our company’s history. It was essential for me to find a partner that shares our values, our commitment to quality and our long-term growth ambitions, while preserving the DNA that has made afarax successful. With the support of I-Deal Development, we were able to navigate this transaction in an environment of trust, approach each stage with confidence and identify LeHibou as the ideal partner with whom to write this new chapter. I would like to thank the I-Deal Development team for their availability, attentiveness, professionalism and commitment throughout the entire process.”
Bertrand Bailly, CEO of afarax
