Increased expertise in cybersecurity and foothold in East Flanders: VanRoey acquires The Collective
Turnhout, January 23, 2026 – VanRoey acquires The Collective, a Belgian cybersecurity specialist with in-depth expertise in Microsoft-based security, endpoint management, and managed services for the corporate and enterprise segment. This acquisition will accelerate growth for both parties: VanRoey is expanding its presence to East Flanders and strengthening its offering in IT/OT security, Security Operations Center (SOC) services, and Azure services within the Microsoft stack. The Collective is further scaling its expertise within a broader organization.
The Collective, based in Zele, is a specialized Microsoft Solutions Partner with in-depth expertise in security – think Managed Detection and Response (MDR) – , cloud, identity, and endpoints. Its managed services offering includes Managed Endpoint Management, Azure Cloud, and security services based on the Microsoft stack, supported by a Belgian SOC.
With this acquisition, managed ICT player VanRoey is establishing itself in East Flanders for the first time, after gaining a foothold in West Flanders earlier this month with the acquisition of Sonical. The Ghent-based M&A and consulting firm VDP advised The Collective on the acquisition. VanRoey has Fortino Capital on board as a reference shareholder.
Strengthening security expertise
In October 2025, VanRoey launched its own SOC (Security Operations Center) to respond to the growing demand from SMEs, large companies, and governments for permanent monitoring of their IT environments. With this acquisition, VanRoey is strengthening the further expansion of its cybersecurity services with specialized expertise.
Thanks to this expansion, Van Roey’s customers can now count on additional knowledge and expertise, with a particular focus on where IT and OT converge. Those who collaborate with The Collective will gain access to a broader range of managed services and an extensive array of IT infrastructure solutions as a result of the acquisition.
VanRoey emphasizes that customers retain their freedom of choice. For example, end-to-end standardization on Microsoft technology is possible, but VanRoey’s other strong security partnerships can also be called upon. The combination of different technologies also remains possible.
Joachim Lauwers, CEO VanRoey: “Organizations and companies are looking for partners who not only implement, but also take on ongoing responsibility for support and security. With The Collective, we are not only bringing in additional specialized managed security expertise on the Microsoft stack. In addition to SMEs, we can now also better serve the enterprise market and strengthen our presence in East Flanders. This unique synergy will immediately bear fruit and bring us one step closer to our ambition of becoming the Belgian benchmark in managed ICT services.”
Michael Van Horenbeeck, CEO The Collective: “The cybersecurity landscape is becoming more complex every year, and the impact of attacks is also increasing due to new technologies such as AI. That is why it is essential to continue investing in both expertise and scale. With this collaboration, we remain true to our core expertise, while continuing to build a sustainable security story together thanks to VanRoey’s operational maturity, market knowledge and their strong technological expertise.”
For the full press release in English, please click here.
For the full press release in Dutch, please click here.
For the full press release in French, please click here.
From left to right: Arne Braeckman, Michael Van Horenbeeck, Joachim Lauwers, Thijs Lecomte