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EMERAM sells its stake in Swiss 3D-sensor and analytics company Xovis to Capvis
Zollikofen, Switzerland/Munich, 15 May 2019 – The fund advised by the Munich investment company EMERAM Capital Partners GmbH (“EMERAM”) has agreed to sell its stake in Xovis AG (“Xovis”) to Capvis Equity V LP, a fund advised by the Swiss private equity firm Capvis AG (together „Capvis“). The parties have agreed not to disclose any financial details of the transaction.
Xovis is the worldwide market leader for the analysis of people flows and waiting times. EMERAM acquired a stake in the company in August 2016. In close cooperation with the founding team, Xovis became the leading provider in its business segments and markets.
In the business segment "Airports", the number of customers has tripled within the last three years. Approximately 75 of the world's largest airports use Xovis' technology, including the airports in Atlanta, Dubai, Frankfurt, Paris, and Delhi. The "Stationary Retail" business segment has also developed very successfully, with three of the world's largest supermarket chains among Xovis' customers. In addition, the business segment "Public Transportation" has been established as a further growth area.
As part of the strengthening of worldwide sales, an office in Boston has been opened in order to access the US market. In the course of the positive operational development of the company, the number of employees rose from 34 in June 2016 to almost 90 today. Moreover, investments in innovations increased and, in 2018, Xovis celebrated a world first with the introduction of the first sensor with AI characteristics.
David Studer, CEO of Xovis, commented: "Together with the EMERAM team, we have strategically and operationally developed Xovis over the past three years. We have further professionalized our financial aspects and consistently strengthened our sales and marketing activities. As a result, we have significantly increased our market penetration with an average growth rate of 40%. In the process, the EMERAM team supported us both as a financial partner and as a valuable sparring partner. We will continue our successful path with our new owner.”
Volker Schmidt, founding partner of EMERAM Capital Partners, added: "We would like to thank the management team and all employees for their great cooperation and commitment. Today, Xovis is excellently positioned as a technology leader in a dynamically growing industry. It was our pleasure to support the company for parts of this journey. We are convinced that Xovis will continue its success story.”
The three founders and managing directors – Christian Studer, David Studer and Markus Herrli – will remain shareholders of Xovis and will continue to lead the company in the next growth phase.
The EMERAM team included Volker Schmidt, Kai Köppen, Fabian Furtmeier and Matthias Obermeyr. EMERAM was advised by GCA Altium (M&A), Schellenberg Wittmer (Legal) and Alvarez & Marsal (Finance).
The Swiss high-tech company Xovis is the leading developer of 3D sensors and associated disruptive software solutions for counting and managing flows of people and waiting times at airports, in retail and in public transport. Xovis products stand out by virtue of their proprietary multi-sensor technology, precision, reliability, versatility, AI-based functions, and conformity with data protection requirements.
EMERAM Capital Partners is a leading equity investment company for SMEs in German-speaking countries. As a business development partner, we foster the long-term growth of our portfolio companies with capital and expertise.
The funds advised by EMERAM invest in the consumer, technology/software and service sectors. Their total volume currently stands at EUR 400 million. In general, the funds acquire a significant stake in the company and give the respective management team an opportunity to invest, too.