#DealMonitor
+++ #DealMonitor +++ Uber buys Blacklane +++ AlphaPet Ventures buys Cpro Food +++ Main Capital Partners takes over Gingco +++ Nature Robots receives 4 million +++ deeplify raises 2 million +++ Summiteer invests in cuisyn +++
In the #DealMonitor For March 30th we’ll take a look at the most important, exciting and interesting investments and exits of the day in the DACH region. All deals from the previous days are available in a large and clear format #DealMonitor Archives.
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MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Uber – Blacklane
+++ The US ride-hailing company Uber buys the Berlin chauffeur service Blacklane. “Together Blacklane and Uber – and their respective guests and partners – will benefit from each other’s expertise. Blacklane’s luxury service and specialist knowledge, combined with Uber’s global scale and technology, will deliver a powerful platform for growth,” the companies said about the takeover. Through the acquisition, Uber primarily wants to move into the higher-margin premium segment. “Uber is the right partner for Blacklane. We have each reshaped our respective categories, and we are united in our ambition to be best-in-class,” says Blacklane founder Jens Wohltorf about the exit. The companies do not disclose a purchase price. According to Handelsblatt, the sales amount should correspond “approximately to the company’s valuation, which is around half a billion dollars”. Blacklane, founded in 2011, focuses on chauffeur services with high-quality vehicles for business travelers. The investors in the Grownup, which recently achieved sales of 240 million euros, include the Saudi Arabian mobility investor Tasaru Mobility Investments, Gargash Group, AlFahim, Alstin Capital around Carsten Maschmeyer and RI Digital. The German carmaker Mercedes Benz most recently held 28.5% of Blacklane. Alstin is currently still on board with 12.7%. AlFahim holds 10.4% of the company. In recent years, more than 150 million have flowed into Blacklane. The company was profitable in 2023. More about Blacklane
AlphaPet Ventures – Cpro Food
+++ The Munich-based pet food company AlphaPet Ventures is taking over the Belgian company Cpro Food, a so-called premium brand for dog and cat food. “The acquisition was financed through a combination of equity and debt capital. Patria Investments took on the role of lead investor in the financing round, with a significant contribution from Venture Stars and the support of existing AlphaPet shareholders,” said a press release. Debt financing was provided by CVC. The takeover of Cpro Food is the fifth acquisition in six years that AlphaPet Ventures (formed in 2016 from the merger of pets Premium and ePetWorld) has made. More about AlphaPet Ventures
Main Capital Partners – Gingco
+++ The Dutch private equity investor Main Capital Partners is taking over the majority of the company Gingco (Braunschweig), which was founded in 1999 and focuses on software solutions for enterprise resource management. The company currently supports “around 200 customers from the enterprise segment and public administration”. In the future, the team will invest in particular in “AI-driven product development”. Main Capital Partners is also looking for “add-on acquisitions.” More about Gingco
INVESTMENTS
Nature Robots
+++ The German-Danish investor Climentum Capital, Bayern Kapital and Planetary Impact Ventures (Denmark) are investing 4 million euros in Nature Robots. The robotics startup from Osnabrück, founded in 2022 by Sebastian Pütz, Sven Lake and Malte Kleine Piening, wants to bring “regenerative and ecological agriculture into harmony with nature and people through AI and robotics”. Specifically, the company is developing “autonomous robots for regenerative agriculture.” The fresh capital will flow particularly into “team building and an additional location in Munich”. More about Nature Robots
deeplify
+++ The Heilbronn-based early-stage investor D11Z.Ventures, Vanagon Ventures, EWOR and business angels are investing 2 million euros in deeplify. The startup from Bochum, founded in 2023 by Jan Löwer and Tim Schwabe, relies on AI-based “industrial inspections and asset integrity management”. Specifically, this involves the inspection of gas pipelines. More about deeplify
cuisyn
+++ Summiteer, the investment company of serial entrepreneur Sven Schulz, invests in cuisyn. The company from Frankfurt am Main, an offshoot of the blueworld.group (serial founder Rigbert Fischer), relies on a buy & build strategy in the gastronomy, catering and hotel industries. The team wants to do nothing less than “build the most successful catering group in Germany and Europe”. The fresh capital is intended to “significantly accelerate” cuisyn’s expansion. Summiteer now owns 26.1% of cuisyn. More about cuisyn
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