THE NEW POWER COUPLE

…making Marbella great again!

Meet the new power couple of Marbella; Janus R Nielsen and Carla Morales. The Best Tech Company in Andalucía 2021 – One of the biggest privately owned companies in Marbella and according to Financial Times “The Fastest Growing Tech Company in Spain 2019 – The International ATP 250 tennis tournament, AnyTech365 Andalucía Open at Puente Romano, the biggest sports event in Andalucía….this are just a few of the things the successful couple can write on their CVs!

It is almost 20 years ago Janus R. Nielsen, a highly successful Danish Tech entrepreneur, arrived to Costa del Sol.

Apart from one prior visit his knowledge about Marbella was very limited. But he liked the sun and golf, so he thought it would be the perfect place to retire. Only in his early thirties he already made big success with his first IT security company and thought it was time to do something else. Although the original plan moving to Marbella was to enjoy life, play golf and spend time with his family, it was not exactly how it all turned out.

After a few years with a relaxing life in the sun and on the golf course Janus decided to set up a new business, MYMobileSecurity. It was around the same

time the first smartphones from Apple and Samsung was hitting the market and in no time his company and product MYAndroidSecurity became one of the most downloaded Antivirus program in the world with more than 160.000 new users every single week! But only after a few years he decided to sell the company to some American investors. Yet again it was back in the sun and on the golf course, but obviously it didn’t last for long this time either.

In 2014 he founded AnyTech365 and now seven years later and with lots of problems and great sacrifices on the way, all his hard work has been paying off. The innovative entrepreneur has now and very impressively managed to create a company that by Financial Times ranks 27th in Europe out of the top 1000 fastest growing companies, not to mention “The Fastest Growing Technology Company in Spain 2019”. This achievement seams even more impressive when thinking about the fact that Marbella and Costa del Sol not by any means are known for having the infrastructure favouring IT and Tech companies.

AnyTech365 is an IT Security, Help and Support company whose mission is to ensure private consumers and small business daily “peace of mind” when using their Internet connected devices like Smartphones, computers, laptops and tablets. With more than 400 employees, most of them based in offices in Marbella and Torremolinos, the company is helping and protecting tens of thousands of people every day.

It is busy and exiting times for the company Janus R Nielsen only 7 years ago started from scratch in Marbella. Already today it is one of the biggest and most respected in the industry and cover customers and users in more than 20 countries all with native speaking and highly skilled Apple iOS, Windows and Android experts. The company is so well respected as it recently managed to sign their biggest contract to date, an agreement with MediaMarkt, the biggest consumer electronics chain in Europe with more than 1000 outlets. AnyTech365 shall over the next couple of years deploy 2 Help and Support agents in every single shop throughout Europe, which potentially means more than 2000 new AnyTech365 employees. This partnership will eventually transform the company into one of the absolute biggest in the world in their industry!

The whole adventure began in Gothenburg, Sweden, when Janus started out as a Shop Manager Trainee in the popular Danish retail chain, Jysk, having completed his studies in International Business Economics. A quick learner, he gained invaluable knowledge and experience in sales and business management while in charge of various stores before moving back to Denmark as he landed the position of Nordic Regional Manager for the Canadian software company Corel Corporation. In less than 4 years, he had positioned the Nordic market as the best performing region in the world for the company, and in 1995, he was awarded “Sales Executive of the Year” among more than 1,500 candidates worldwide. After 6 successful years at Corel Corporation he was headhunted by one of the biggest software companies in the world, American giant Computer Associates to head up their European security software division as a Regional Vice President. It was here the foundation and idea for his first company evolved. By early 2000 there was no stopping the progressive and innovative Dane, who set up his first independent business, MYSecurityCenter, with a childhood friend. Their aim was to deliver top-quality, user-friendly, economical antivirus software to private consumers. A few years later, MYSecurityCenter was awarded “Emea Partner of the Year” by an American Fortune 500 company. It since grew from being a small, one-product company to an international company with broad recognition and a wide product portfolio. From then on, everything business-wise soared and Janus took the decision to move to Marbella and in a very short time everything reached new heights. Suddenly, Janus had not only one, but several businesses, including MYSecurityCenter, AnyTech365, CharityAntivirus and MYMobileSecurity.

While AnyTech365 does business on an international level, they also think locally. Janus has always been enthusiastic about supporting and forming part of worthy projects. AnyTech365 has among many local activities become the main sponsor and one of the driving parts of the biggest sport events in Andalucía, the international ATP 250 tennis tournament “AnyTech365 Andalucía Open”. In 2020 they hosted 2 weeks of professional tennis at the Puente Romano Tennis Club in the months of March and April. And the goal is clear. Janus and his partners want to bring the tournament forward and make it one of the biggest sports event in Spain at the same level as the tournaments in Madrid and Barcelona and make it as famous as the fashionable tournament in Monaco. “If they can do it in Monaco why should we not be able to do the same in Marbella? Marbella have it all; fashionable, great weather, fame, glory and a great history”; Janus R Nielsen boldly claim!

One of the reasons Janus wanted to make this event possible was not only to see the tournament grow. He loves living in Marbella and all Marbella has to offer. “I want to see Marbella great again, and if we can contribute just a little I would be very proud and happy to do so….I JUST WANT TO SEE MARBELLA GREAT AGAIN!”; he has often been quoted. “Bringing an international top sports event to Marbella will for sure help putting this city with so much to offer back on the map!”. The 2020 event was live broadcasted in more than 40 countries with more than 700 hours of live top tennis from Marbella and the famous Hotel Puente Romano Tennis Club.

So it is obviously clear that the entrepreneur knows what he wants and how to get there. But as we all know; beside every successful business man stands a smart and clever woman. And in Janus case this is indeed also the case. Janus wife, Carla Morales is involved in all aspects of his business decisions and endeavours. Carla is half Spanish half Cuban. “Carla being Spanish and with a degree in corporate law it is obvious I turn to her a lot. All ideas and decisions I discuss with her first”; Janus R Nielsen explains. Carla also manage all events and VIP arrangements for both the companies as well as the tennis tournament. “Obviously this is a very time consuming responsibility, but this is not Janus strongest side and I can see he appreciate my involvement and it eases his stress level and gives him more time to focus on what he does best; business!”; Carla say.

Carla has an enormous reach and lots of great friends and contract in Marbella and that has indeed been a very important part of their success in Marbella, Janus believe. “I really think that a strong and supportive spouse can provide great diversification and a different but very important view on adventures crazy and risk willing entrepreneurs like me are thinking about”. “I somewhere read that firms founded by married or entrepreneurs in steady relationships are more likely to last and succeed than those founded by single entrepreneurs”; Carla adds with a smile.

And believe it or not, all Janus and Carla’s impressive activities and achievements in Marbella is actually only secondary for them! Their family is everything and always above anything else. They have 4 kids, 2 sons and 2 daughters. William 14, Alex 10, Carla 9 and little Joanna 5. “My family is everything, they are the fuel in my life, they are what keeps me going every single day. Carla is simply the best and most impressing mother in the world”; Janus proudly say!

So watch out, let’s see what is coming next for one of Marbella’s new power couples. “At least we are trying and want to contribute and make a difference. I don’t believe we are done yet”; Janus ends.

Maybe you are interested in…

A WORD WITH ERIC EBBING

Co-Founder and managing director of Homerun Brokers

MARBEFORNIA By Rachel’s Eco Love

,
Rachel's Eco Love ha celebrado esta semana por todo lo alto su re-apertura y nueva imagen con un evento muy especial...

CARLOS RODRIGUEZ - CEO OF SIERRA BLANCA ESTATES

,
Talks about his new project ‘KARL LAGERFELD Villas Marbella...

MARBELLA DESIGN 2022

,
Already has dates of celebration: from November 3 to 13...