GCA Altium advises Gantner on its sale by Ardian to SALTO Systems

GCA Altium has advised Gantner Electronic Austria Holding GmbH, a specialist in electronic access, ticketing and billing systems as well as smart locks for lockers, on its sale by Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, to SALTO Systems, a leading manufacturer of access control and electronic locking solutions. This is GCA Altium’s second transaction with Gantner, following its sale of a majority stake to Ardian in 2016.

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Nueziders, Austria, Gantner is a leading European manufacturer of systems that enable automatic and contactless identification based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. Gantner systems comprise integrated solutions for membership and visitor management, cashless payments, time recording in business organisations and security. Its customers include companies in the fitness, attractions, corporate and education segments.

Since Ardian took a majority stake, Gantner has continued with its established strategy, providing customers with integrated solutions through targeted investments in research and development as well as the expansion of its product range.

In June 2017, the product portfolio was expanded to include ticketing and management software for leisure facilities with the acquisition of Syx Automations. This was followed by the acquisition of Contidata in June 2020, with which Gantner expanded its offering to include market-leading cashless payment systems for company cafeterias. As part of its international expansion, the company was able to increase its market share, particularly in the USA, the UK and the Benelux countries. As a result, since 2015 Gantner has doubled in revenues and increased the number of employees from 200 to 450.

Headquartered in Spain, with more than 750 employees in offices spanning 32 countries, SALTO is a global leader in the development and manufacturing of world-class access control solutions, particularly in sectors where security is critical, including education, healthcare, commercial, hospitality, retail, working spaces, residential and co-living, and Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). The company revolutionised access control with a pioneering approach that featured the first stand-alone, battery-powered electronic lock, the SALTO Virtual Network (SVN) data-on-card technology and the first wireless access control system that combined a stand-alone locking device with online, real-time capabilities – all without using wires or mechanical keys. The company has expanded its portfolio to include world-class software management, cloud solutions and mobile applications. With the addition of the Gantner portfolio, SALTO will now have the combined strength and joint capacity of one million access points annually.

Elmar Hartmann, CEO of Gantner, said: “The collaboration with Ardian as an entrepreneurial partner was a true success story. During the past four years, we have been able to continue our steep growth curve and double our size. With innovative products and integrated solutions for contactless access, ticketing and billing systems as well as flexible workspaces we are becoming a truly global player that significantly shapes the market in our segments. Thanks to the new partnership with SALTO, we can expand our product portfolio, take advantage of important synergies, better target our markets and address customer segments with precision. This puts us in an optimal position to continue our growth. I would like to thank Ardian for their excellent cooperation, which was both inspiring and respectful, and look forward to continuing the successful development of our company with SALTO.”

The parties have agreed not to disclose the details of the transaction.

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About GCA

GCA Altium is the European business of GCA, a global investment bank that provides strategic M&A and capital markets advisory services to growth companies and market leaders. The firm offers worldwide coverage with over 500 employees in 25 offices across America, Asia and Europe. Built by the people that run the business, GCA is a firm of experts who focus on deals that require commitment, original perspective, skill and exceptional networks.

For further information about GCA Altium, please visit www.gcaaltium.com