Ardian, a global private investment firm, is acquiring a majority stake in Munich Electrification from the company’s founders. Munich Electrification provides battery management systems and electronics, control and sensor components, as well as software primarily for electric mobility and battery energy storage systems applications. As part of the transaction, the founders will retain a minority stake while the existing management team significantly invests alongside Ardian and the founders into the company. Completion is subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities, and the parties have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction.
The Munich-based company was founded in 2014 and currently employs around 300 people, with its main area focused on developing and providing mission-critical battery management systems applied in commercial vehicles, battery energy storage systems, and passenger cars. Munich Electrification addresses structurally attractive and fast-growing industries supported by the global electrification of transportation, decarbonization of energy systems, and tightening regulatory requirements. All systems, including proprietary software, are developed in-house, while series production is carried out by partners in Europe and soon the United States, with a management team that has gained expertise through previous positions at Tesla, Daimler, BMW, Audi, Continental, and Bosch.
As part of the transaction, Ardian is providing additional capital to accelerate Munich Electrification’s strategic objectives and support its expansion plans, including diversification across market segments and expansion into new geographies. Alongside its organic growth trajectory, the company will explore selective buy-and-build opportunities to scale its platform and strengthen its market position in existing and adjacent application fields such as non-road mobile machinery, data centers, drones and defense, and automation and robotics.
Ardian is a global, diversified private markets firm with 22 offices and more than 350 investment professionals, currently managing or advising $200 billion for more than 1,920 clients across private equity, real assets, and credit.
Support: LSJ Advisory served as M&A advisor to Ardian Expansion, with Milbank as legal counsel, while JP Morgan served as M&A advisor to the Munich Electrification founders, with Sullivan & Cromwell as their legal advisor.
KEY QUOTES:
“Developing Munich Electrification into Europe’s leading independent battery technology company focusing on BMS has been an extraordinary journey.”
“In just over ten years, we have developed into a leading supplier trusted by top-tier commercial vehicle OEMs and energy storage integrators across Europe and the United States, with a modular product platform that sets the benchmark for accuracy, safety and flexibility in our industry. To capture the significant opportunities to new segments and geographies ahead we wanted a partner with the industrial depth, European roots and global reach to accelerate that ambition.”
Georg-Friedrich Graf, CEO, Munich Electrification
“Munich Electrification is exactly the type of company Ardian’s Expansion team was built to partner with: a European technological champion led by an exceptional management team that has built one of the largest BMS R&D organizations globally.”
“We are providing additional capital alongside this transaction to accelerate the company’s development pipeline and geographic expansion, and we look forward to supporting Georg and his team as they build Munich Electrification into the global leader for battery technology.”
Max Dolata, Managing Director Expansion, Ardian
