ISSUE 4 | 2021
28
Its focus is on green technologies that can significantly reduce resource consumption and emissions in the mining industry. This was an important milestone in Thyssekrupp’s ongoing realignment of the Group. In the business services sector, ChargePoint Holdings Inc. a US-based leading electric vehicle (EV) charging network operating in Northa America and Europe acquired the leading Austrian based E-mobility software specialist has to be GmbH fromVolkswagen AG and other founder investors and VCs, for approx. USD 295 million. Has to be’s software runs on more than 40,000 charging points and 250.000 networked ports in Europe. German-based fintech, solarisBank AG successfully closed a USD 224 million Series D financing led by Decisive Capital (a Switzerland-based PE) and new investors like the emerging fund Ilavska Vuillermoz Capital, Pathway Capital Management and CNP (Groupe Frère). Existing investors led by four VCs, also provided significant additional investment. This brings its total fund raising to date to USD 406 million. Berlin-based SolarisBank AG offers a banking-as-a-service platform and is a partner to fintechs as well as multinationals. The sectors TMT, Industrials & Chemicals and Business Services were the most active mid-market sectors in the DACH region in Q3 2021 with 30, 20 and eight deals respectively. All three sectors together account for approx. 83% of all deals in the DACH region.
However, it should not be forgotten that the increase in volumes is from a comparatively low level in Q3 2020 (53 deals). The same applies to a quarter on quarter analysis. The value of transactions decreased by 19%, and the volume declined by 15% compared to Q2 2021. PE activity has picked up more quickly in the DACH region. Aggregate deal values were up significantly year-on-year (+220%) as well as on a quarterly basis (+10%). Deal volumes increased by 132% year-on-year but decreased by 20% compared to the last quarter. The volume of PE deals as a percentage of total deals in the quarter was 40.2% and by value it was 46%: these are significantly higher than averages from 2008-2020. Of the 20 largest mid-market transactions in DACH (by value) in Q3 2021, 15 took place in Germany and three in Switzerland and two in Austria respectively. International interest in the DACH market continued to be very buoyant with buyers from nine different countries (excluding Germany). European buyers (including domestic German buyers) accounted for just 55% of the Top 20 transactions. With seven acquisitions, a significant US activity is evident, making US buyers the second largest group. Japan and Australia were each involved in one deal. KEY DEALS AND SECTORS One of the largest Mid-Market M&A deals in the region in the third quarter of 2021 was the sale of the mining business of Thyssenkrupp AG to FLSmidth & Co. A/S for EUR 325 million. FLSmidth & Co. A/S is a listed Danish technological solutions provider focused on the mining and cement business.
The TMT sector deserves special mention; it recorded 30 transactions, as many as in Q2 2021 and an increase from 15 transactions in Q3 2020. This constitutes a year-on-year growth of approx. 100% and brings the volume of quarterly TMT deals to a historically high number. Also to note is that the Pharma, Medical & Biotech sector marked a significant decrease of 55% year-on-year, with five deals inQ3 2021 compared to 11 in Q3 2020.
DIETMAR FLÜGEL
PARTNER HEAD OF CORPORATE FINANCE
dietmar.fluegel@bdo.de
JANE EVANS M&A
jane.evans@bdo.de
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