E1 welcomes 12Build as part of its global construction procurement platform

see Dutch Press release here
see Danish Press release here
see German Press Release here

• E1 has acquired 12Build, reinforcing long-term investment in product innovation, people, and customer value.
• The acquisition brings together two established construction tendering platforms with a shared focus on entrepreneurship, culture and sustainable growth.
• 12Build’s leadership team remains unchanged, ensuring continuity in strategy, culture, and customer commitment. Patrick Aarbodem stays involved as CEO and 12Build’s founder Erik Nieuwenhuis stays actively involved as minority shareholder, board member in the E1 group and director at 12Build.
  

NIJVERDAL, Netherlands and MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 12Build, a leading European construction tendering platform, today announces that it has been acquired by E1 (formally known as EstimateOne), the market-leading bidding and tendering marketplace in Australia and New Zealand. The acquisition is supported by E1’s long-term investor, Potentia Capital, with Stifel acting as financial advisor to 12Build. This milestone marks an important next step in strengthening the 12Build platform, team and long-term roadmap.

For 12Build’s customers, the focus remains unchanged. 12Build will continue to serve the European construction market with the same product, people and commitment. The acquisition enables increased resources in technology, product development and talent, while preserving 12Build’s identity, culture and way of working.

Founded nearly 19 years ago on nearly identical principles, both 12Build and EstimateOne were built to improve and simplify the estimation and tendering process in construction. Over time, each company has grown into a market standard in its respective region. Becoming part of the same group allows both platforms to share learnings, data and capabilities; while remaining focused on their local customers.

Continuity in leadership and direction
12Build will continue to operate as an independent platform within the group, with its existing leadership team fully in place. Patrick Aarbodem remains CEO of 12Build, continuing to lead the company’s strategy, product direction and day-to-day operations.

Erik Nieuwenhuis, founder of 12Build, remains closely involved as minority shareholder and board member in the E1 group and active contributor to the company’s long-term vision and development. His continued involvement reflects the shared commitment to culture and strategy and his belief in the long term opportunity.

“For me, the cultural and strategic alignment was a decisive factor,” said Erik Nieuwenhuis, Founder of 12Build. “From the first conversations, it was clear that E1 shares our way of thinking about construction technology and how to build a company with a strong culture for the long term. That alignment gives me confidence that this step will strengthen our ability to innovate and continue building what 12Build stands for.”

“We found more than just a partner in E1,” said Patrick Aarbodem, CEO of 12Build. “We found a team that speaks our language, is closely aligned in culture and has the same passion for the construction industry. This milestone marks an important step for 12Build. First and foremost for our customers. Our focus remains exactly where it should be: delivering a reliable, high-quality tendering platform, now with greater strength to invest in our product and our people.”

E1 co-founders Michael Ashcroft and Andrew Ritchie said the acquisition represents a defining moment in the company’s evolution. “E1 was built in Australia with the ambition to fundamentally improve how the construction industry communicates. Joining forces with 12Build allows us to take that ambition global, combining two deeply aligned platforms while preserving what customers value most in each market.”

Accelerating innovation and customer value
As part of the group, 12Build will benefit from increased investment capacity and shared expertise, enabling the team to further strengthen the platform, accelerate innovation, and invest in the people behind the product. The focus remains on building a reliable, high-quality platform while supporting the teams and capabilities needed to deliver long-term customer value.

Key areas include:

• Product & AI Innovation: Continued investment in core tendering workflows, document processing, data quality, and AI-driven capabilities for smarter extraction, matching, and automation.
• People & Teams: Ongoing investment in attracting, developing, and retaining talent across product, engineering, and customer-facing teams, while preserving 12Build’s culture and way of working.
• Platform & Learnings: Leveraging combined insights across pricing, packaging, feature adoption and proven platform capabilities to support sustainable growth and decision-making.
• Measured Expansion & Acquisitions: The group will actively pursue "Buy & Build" opportunities to add complementary technologies such as BIM analysis, take-offs, and supply-chain pre-qualification.

E1 and 12Build will continue to serve their respective markets with dedicated teams, products and customer relationships. The acquisition is designed to strengthen both platforms over the long term, without disrupting customers, culture, or day-to-day operations. Stifel is serving as financial advisor to 12Build.

About 12Build
12Build is a cloud-based procurement platform that streamlines the tendering and bidding process for the construction industry. Based in the Netherlands and supported by 73 FTE, it connects General Contractors with subcontractors and suppliers to foster more efficient collaboration and smarter project execution.

About E1
E1 (formerly known as EstimateOne) is Australia and New Zealand’s leading tender management platform and successfully entered the UK market. E1 provides a centralized marketplace that allows the construction industry to manage biddings and find new opportunities with ease. E1 recently acquired C-link which is a post-award contract management solution that helps builders manage contracts and project information after a tender has been awarded. By the end of 2025, E1’s ARR is projected to be roughly double that of 12Build, supported by a team of 117 FTE.

Media Contact: Edwin van Dijk, e.vandijk@12build.com