Acquisition of PROLED Group

Galaed becomes a key European player in LED lighting with the acquisition of PROLED Group

Colomiers, 3 May 2024 – Galaed Group, a major player in the LED lighting industry in Europe, is pleased to announce today the acquisition of PROLED Group, a leading player in the LED lighting industry in Germany, Belgium, and Austria, from Perusa Partners Fund II L.P. (“Perusa”) and PROLED’s founders. This strategic move strengthens Galaed's position in the European B2B lighting markets and enables it to achieve a consolidated turnover of €140 million.

Galaed Group, present in France and England where it operates renowned brands such as Miidex Lighting, Electra, Europole, Hoplights, and Aurora Lighting, sees the acquisition of PROLED Group as an opportunity to expand its presence and continue its expansion strategy across Europe. PROLED Group operates in Germany, Belgium and Austria with brands such as PROLED, Uni-Bright, and mawa, thus complementing Galaed Group's geographical footprint and product portfolio in its key markets.

Sébastien Bonneville, President of Galaed, stated, "This acquisition marks a significant step in our development strategy in the European LED lighting markets. We are confident that the combined expertise of Galaed and PROLED will enable us to offer even more innovative solutions tailored to the needs of our customers, while also opening doors to new markets."

Philippe Zurawski, Partner at B & Capital, which has been supporting the group since 2020, said, "We are proud to support Galaed in this strategic step and are convinced that this acquisition will further strengthen its position in the European LED lighting markets."

Patrick Slechten, CEO of PROLED Group, also commented on the acquisition, stating, "Integration into the Galaed Group opens up new perspectives for PROLED and reinforces our commitment to innovation and product quality."

PROLED Group will continue to operate under its brands (PROLED, Uni-Bright and mawa) within the Galaed Group. This integration will strengthen the production capabilities, research and development, as well as the commercial presence of both entities in the European LED lighting markets.

Teams and Advisors

Buyer: Galaed

• Management: Sébastien Bonneville, Baptiste Girard, Michel Matzinger
• B & Capital: Philippe Zurawski, Nicolas Lozowski, Charles Gaudry
• BPI France: Christine Busque

Buyer's Advisors:

• Financial Due Diligence: EY Strategy & Transaction (Emmanuel Picard, Alexandra Pitsch, Christoph Hohorst, Philipp Stopp, Johann Tuch, René Barth)
• Legal Due Diligence: EY Strategy & Transaction (Dr. Jan Feigen, Dr. Ines Fritz, Manuel Haack, Cenk Köknar, Christian Friedrich Bock, Sina Biermann, Alexandra Parascho, Georg Perkowitsch (Austria), David Du Pont (Belgium)
• Tax Due Diligence: EY Strategy & Transaction (Dr. Christoph Imschweiler, Daniel Völker, Jana Lilian Zenz, Philipp Dittmeier)
• Lawyers:
  • Corporate: Goodwin (Jérôme Jouhanneaud, David Diamant, and Sibel Tekesultan (Munich: Sebastian Walczak and Silvio McMiken)
  • Tax: Goodwin (Marie-Laure Bruneel and Paul Fourniere (Munich: Oded Schein and Philipp Lauer)
  • Financing: Goodwin (Adrien Paturaud, Marie Mognolle, and Charlotte Mouradian (Munich: Winfried Carli and Andreas Breu)

Financing
Arrangers:

• Arkea Banque (Lucas Van Casteren, Muriel Bennoun, Christophe Coz)
• SG (Aurélien Saurin, Kevin Beaulieu)

Lenders:

• CIC (Marie Bietrix)
• LCL (Frédéric Morel)
• Caisse d'Epargne Midi Pyrénées (Jean-Marc Wurtz)
• Caisse d'Epargne Auvergne Limousin (Julian Armagnac)

Tranche C:

• Schelcher Prince Gestion (Clément Auboin)

Lenders' Lawyer:

• Agilys Avocats (Frédéricque Milotic)

Sellers: Perusa, advised by Perusa GmbH, Bernd Menrad and Luc Hulselmans

• PROLED Group management: Dr. Andreas Spiegel, Patrick Slechten, Dr. Bernhard Steidl
• Perusa GmbH: Dr. Christian Hollenberg, Dr. Stephan Beller, Karl-Martin Mutter

Sellers' Advisors:

• M&A Advisory: Raymond James (Alastair Rogers, Thomas Bates, Michael Recht, Ben Elias)
• Vendor Financial Due Diligence: Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) (Ines Berger, Christina Bohl)
• Vendor Tax Due Diligence: Flick Gocke Schaumburg (Peter Volkmann, Christian Schatz) and Arteo Law (Steven Peeters)
• Vendor Commercial Due Diligence: Roland Berger (Sven Kleindienst, Sebastian Haine, Stefan Unteregger)
• Lawyers:
  • Corporate and Financing: Gütt Olk Feldhaus (GOF) (Sebastian Olk, Maximilian Spindler, Dominik Forstner, Tilmann Gütt)
  • Shareholder Legal Counsel: McDermott Will & Emery (Carsten Böhm)
  • Local Belgian Counsel: contrast (Bart Bellen, Karlien De Ryck)

About Galaed
Founded in 2020, Galaed has become a major player in lighting thanks to its presence in several European countries (France, UK, Germany, Belgium, and Austria). The group owns recognized companies (Miidex Lighting, Electra, Hoplights, Europole, Aurora Lighting, mawa, PROLED & Uni-Bright) and markets innovative and efficient lighting solutions serving its customers across all segments of the B2B market (residential, tertiary, industrial, retail, and outdoor). With several design offices, assembly workshops, a control laboratory, and unique logistical expertise, the group can meet all lighting project needs to enhance building energy efficiency. The group currently achieves a turnover of €140 million with its 300 employees.
Contact: Baptiste Girard – 07 86 64 06 92 - baptiste.girard[at]galaed.com

About PROLED Group
PROLED Group is a European designer, manufacturer and distributor of LED lighting, operating the brands PROLED, Uni-Bright, and mawa. With a wide portfolio of products known for their high quality, the group markets lighting solutions for retail, residential, and tertiary markets. With a manufacturing plant and workshop in Germany, PROLED Group is a reference manufacturer for the reliability and durability of its products.
Contact: Patrick Slechten – +32 (0) 475 45 59 25 – patrick.slechten[at]unibright.be

About B&Capital
Founded in 2016 by a team with successful experience in investment and asset management, B & Capital offers a structurally new offer in the French small and mid-cap investment universe, resulting from the alliance of investment and strategy experts. This offer combines investment, support, sector knowledge, and the international network of Roland Berger, a leading European strategic consulting firm.
Contact: Bernard Arock - 01 83 81 97 62 - bernard.arock[at]b-and-capital.com

About Bpifrance
Bpifrance finances companies at every stage of their development through credit, guarantees, and equity. They support companies in their innovation and international projects, as well as in their export activities. They also offer advice, training, networking, and acceleration programs for startups, SMEs, and mid-sized companies. With 50 regional offices, entrepreneurs benefit from a close, unique, and effective partner to help them face their challenges. More information at: www.Bpifrance.fr - Follow us on Twitter: @Bpifrance - @BpifrancePresse

About Perusa
Perusa is a European Private Equity house specialized in the acquisition and development of mid-sized companies in change situations in the German-speaking countries and the Nordics.

Please also find the official press release in German with click on the link.