Three pillars,
one mission
Connected Data Group emerged from the merger of Connected Data Group, Connected Data Academy and Datatoppers. Together, we are your complete data partner.
From three strong brands to one powerful whole
Our story
Connected Data Group had already been active for years as a data consultancy with a unique approach: show, share, stand alone. Organisations did not just learn from us, they became independent.
Connected Data Academy was founded to serve the growing demand for certified data expertise. With DAMA CDMP training and DMBOK2 programmes, the Academy develops data professionals into certified experts.
Datatoppers brought years of experience in BI consultancy, data platforms and visualisation, with a particular focus on the whole shop floor, not just the IT department.
By bringing these three pillars together under Connected Data Group, we now offer a complete portfolio: from strategy to platform, from training to certification.
Our mission
Help people and organisations succeed in a continuously changing and innovating world, by connecting data and people.
We believe data only creates value when people can actually use it. Not just the data teams, the entire organisation. That is why we connect people with data, and data with people.
Our values
Independence
We do not work for you. We work with you. Our goal is for your organisation to become data-driven on its own, with no lasting dependency on outside parties.
Practical
No endless theory. We translate data vision into concrete results that work on the shop floor from day one.
Partnership
We stand beside you as a partner. Honest, engaged and always focused on the shared success of your organisation.
Three brands, one group
Data consultancy and strategy. We help organisations build data they can trust, from governance to implementation.
Our sovereign Data & AI platform. Cloud-agnostic, transparent and fully under your control.
Training and certification. From DAMA CDMP to AI Fundamentals, we develop the data professionals of tomorrow.
Our journey
From pioneers to a complete data ecosystem.
Connected Data Group founded
Antoine Stelma and Erik Fransen found Connected Data Group on a shared belief: organisations deserve full ownership of their data.
Datatoppers founded
Timon Haverkamp starts Datatoppers, specialised in BI consultancy and data platforms for housing associations. With deep expertise in the VERA standard and the Microsoft BI stack.
Joining Open Line
Connected Data Group joins Open Line, laying the foundation for a broader data ecosystem and the development of the Connected Data Cloud platform.
Merger with Datatoppers
Datatoppers merges with Connected Data Group. The combined expertise in data consultancy, BI and housing associations strengthens the portfolio.
Part of Conscia
Open Line becomes part of Conscia. Connected Data Group now operates within an international network while keeping its own identity, methodology and client relationships.
The people behind Connected Data Group
Timon Haverkamp
Founder, Datatoppers
Founder of Datatoppers and specialist in BI consultancy and data platforms for housing associations. With his expertise in the VERA standard and the Microsoft BI stack, he brought a unique focus on the housing-association sector to Connected Data Group.
Antoine Stelma
Co-founder
Data Architect and trainer with more than 20 years of experience in Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence. Expert in Data Vault Modelling, Data Virtualisation and the design of scalable data platforms. As a trainer at Connected Data Academy, he translates complex theory into practice.
Erik Fransen
Co-founder
Co-founder of Connected Data Group. Together with Antoine he shaped the vision and growth of CDG into a complete data partner. Erik has since stepped back for health reasons and is no longer active within the company.
The Datatoppers story
In 2018, Timon Haverkamp founded Datatoppers with a clear mission: to help housing associations become truly data-driven. Not just the IT department, but the entire shop floor.
Datatoppers built a modular data platform specifically for housing associations, based on the VERA standard and with standard connectors to systems such as Tobias, Empire, ViewPoint and SAP. The result: sovereign data warehouses with 150 KPIs and 7 CORA reports for statutory disclosures.
In 2025, Datatoppers merged into Connected Data Group. The expertise, client relationships and the VERA platform are fully integrated. Housing associations now benefit from the combined strength of CDG data consultancy, the Connected Data Cloud platform and the proven Datatoppers approach.
Part of Open Line
Connected Data Group is part of Open Line, a Conscia company. As parent organisation, Open Line provides the scale, network and infrastructure within which CDG operates, while we keep our own identity, methodology and direct client relationships.
Within the Open Line ecosystem we combine our deep data expertise with the broader IT services and cloud infrastructure of the group.
Open Line is part of 