Acal BFi Group acquired by H2 Equity Partners

Originating from the 2009 merger of Acal Technology and BFi Optilas, Acal BFi is leaving the DiscoverIE Group to join the investment firm H2 Equity Partners.. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021, the operating structure reported revenues of £150M. The transaction perimeter encompasses the supply operations for wireless modules, sensors, connectors, power supplies, magnetics, Internet of Things devices, radiofrequency equipment, imaging, photonics, and fibre optics. The deal targets specific end markets, including the industrial sector, transportation, communications, consumer goods, defense, and medical fields. For the seller, this divestment follows the planned disposal of Vertec and finalizes DiscoverIE's total exit from the distribution segment. The parent group reallocates the financial proceeds from the operation to reduce net debt and fund the core design and manufacturing division. During the previous fiscal year, this manufacturing division recorded an operating margin of 12.7% compared to 3.6% for the distribution activity, generating 75% of its sales from the renewable energy, medical, transport, industrial, and connectivity sectors. The buyout structure incorporates the reinvestment of the existing management team, comprising Paul Webster as Chief Executive Officer, Darren Gray as Group Managing Director of Operations and IT, Stefano Gonzini as Group Managing Director of Sales, and James Syme as Group Finance Director. The capital injection by H2 Equity Partners funds the deployment of design engineering support and the physical expansion of Technology Centres across Europe. Concluding a five-year holding period, on June 2, 2026, H2 Equity Partners signed a definitive agreement to transfer its entire shareholding. The incoming acquirer, Steliau Technology, executes this transaction with the financial backing of the private equity firm Astorg, marking the definitive exit of the investment fund.