Acquisition of a majority stake in Alstef Group by Ardian
FR
Sycomore Corporate Finance acted as Financial Advisor to Ardian in its acquisition of a majority stake in Alstef Group, a leading provider of automated and robotic solutions for the airport, logistics and parcel sorting markets
Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, has today entered exclusive negotiations to acquire a majority stake through Ardian Expansion V in Alstef Group, a leading provider of automated and robotic solutions for the airport, logistics and parcel sorting markets, alongside the Group’s management team and 260 employee shareholders.
Rationale
For over a decade, Alstef Group has experienced double-digit growth and rapid international expansion, supported by the acquisition of Glidepath, an airport-baggage and parcel-handling company in 2020, and parcel sorting company SNS in 2023. The Group now has a global presence, with 16 subsidiaries around the world and systems installed in 93 countries. It is one of the world leaders in airport baggage sorting and has a blue-chip customer base in the intralogistics and parcel sorting markets.
This transaction will enable Alstef Group, with the support of the Ardian Expansion team, to accelerate its growth ambitions on its three complementary segments, as the Group aims to double in size within a five-year horizon. This ambition will be achieved through a combination of organic growth, relying on a sustainable customer base and structurally growing end-markets, and targeted acquisitions in both existing and new geographies.
Alstef Group designs, integrates and supports automated turnkey solutions for the airport, intralogistics and parcel markets. Its mission is to create intelligent solutions that not only meet the needs of its customers, but also provide them with the long-term benefits of a tailor-made automated system that is eco-designed, efficient, scalable and innovative.
Alstef Group focuses on developing long-term relationships through close collaboration with its customers and proactively promotes support and maintenance services to ensure the long-term effectiveness and performance of its solutions.
With a local presence in sixteen countries and a wide range of systems installed in 93 countries, Alstef Group has 950 employees. The group generated revenue over €220 million in 2023.
Ardian is a world-leading private investment house, managing or advising $166bn of assets on behalf of more than 1,600 clients globally. Its broad expertise, spanning Private Equity, Real Assets and Credit, enables to offer a wide range of investment opportunities and respond flexibly to their clients’ differing needs.
Ardian Customized Solutions creates bespoke portfolios that allow institutional clients to specify the precise mix of assets they require and to gain access to funds managed by leading third-party sponsors. Private Wealth Solutions offers dedicated services and access solutions for private banks, family offices and private institutional investors worldwide.
Ardian’s main shareholding group is its employees, and it places great emphasis on developing its people and fostering a collaborative culture based on collective intelligence. Its 1,050+ employees, spread across 19 offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Middle East are strongly committed to the principles of Responsible Investment and are determined to make finance a force for good in society. Ardian’s goal is to deliver excellent investment performance combined with high ethical standards and social responsibility.