Cresco advised Inect on its integration into Panenco

Cresco advised Inect on its integration into Panenco, bringing together two Leuven-based technology companies with a shared focus on quality-driven digital innovation and technical excellence.

Founded in 2023 by Bjarne Desmet and Gus Vanherf, Inect has grown rapidly into a specialised AI boutique delivering projects across healthcare, education, manufacturing and logistics. Harris Van der Stighelen, who joined Inect as Chief Operating Officer last year, played a key role in connecting both organisations and will continue within the Panenco group as Product Manager, supporting the next phase of growth.

Panenco, a Leuven software studio with more than ten years of experience in building robust digital platforms for scale-ups and corporates, strengthens its offering through the addition of Inect’s advanced AI capabilities. The transaction expands the combined team to approximately 40 experts and deepens expertise across machine learning, computer vision, data engineering and generative AI.

The integration allows Panenco to combine strong product engineering with cutting-edge AI know-how, enabling clients not only to build digital products, but to develop smarter and more efficient solutions across industries. The transaction reflects a natural strategic fit, rooted in a shared boutique mentality, international ambition and a clear focus on long-term value creation.

We congratulate Inect, Panenco and their respective founders and teams on this important milestone and thank all parties for the constructive and pleasant collaboration.

Cresco’s deal team included Olivier Van Raemdonck, Emma Antonneau, and Agim Curraj.

For any questions on technology M&A, founder exits or growth transactions in the AI and software space, feel free to contact Olivier Van Raemdonck.