mynth
← DATABASE
07/2026

EXAIL TECHNOLOGIES acquired by THALES

FRANCE Aerospace, Naval & Defense / Naval EV 3b - 100b EUR

Context

Exail Technologies has been acquired by Thales following an agreement with the Gorgé family to transfer their combined 35.51 % holding in Exail and to launch a mandatory public tender offer for the remaining shares. The transaction is scheduled for completion of the initial stake transfer in the third quarter of 2027, subject to antitrust and regulatory clearances, with the full tender offer expected to close by early 2028. The Exail board has issued an unconditional recommendation in favour of the proposal. Thales pursues the acquisition to strengthen its portfolio in underwater warfare and inertial navigation by incorporating Exail’s autonomous maritime systems and high‑precision navigation units. The combined entity will benefit from complementary research programmes, shared sensor technologies and a broader customer base spanning civil and defence sectors. The deal aligns with Thales’ objective of reinforcing European sovereign capabilities in dual‑use technologies and expanding its addressable market in maritime and space applications. Post‑closing, the groups plan to integrate product development cycles, consolidate supply chains and harmonise after‑sales support networks to generate operational efficiencies. Joint engineering teams will accelerate the delivery of integrated anti‑mine drone solutions and next‑generation navigation kits, while coordinated sales efforts aim to increase market penetration across existing and new contracts. The expected synergies include streamlined R&D expenditures, shared production facilities and enhanced scale in procurement, contributing to improved margins and competitive positioning.

By taking control of Exail Technologies, Thales continues its expansion strategy. Previously, the group had completed 2 acquisitions, including Imperva in 2023.

EXAIL TECHNOLOGIES, which reported an EBITDA margin of LOGIN in 2025, is valued in this transaction at an EV/EBITDA multiple of LOGIN, a level LOGIN than the average currently observed in the Industry & Manufacturing sector (11.6x).

Note that this data is based on contribution from our growing community, composed of M&A and Private Equity professionals, and has been verified by our team to ensure its accuracy.

-> Deep-dive in Industry & Manufacturing market trends

Target

Exail Technologies is a French industrial group that develops high‑technology dual‑use solutions for maritime robotics, inertial navigation, photonics and quantum applications. Formed in 2022 through the merger of ECA Group and iXblue, the company integrates design, manufacturing and field deployment within a single value chain. Its product portfolio includes autonomous underwater vehicles, surface drones, collaborative drone swarms, and the UMIS autonomous anti‑mine system, as well as the DriX high‑endurance surface platform. In the navigation segment, Exail supplies inertial navigation units for naval, land and space platforms and holds a leading position in the global market for naval inertial cores. The advanced‑technology segment commercialises optical, photonic and quantum components, simulators and embedded communication systems that are incorporated into its own and third‑party products. Exail serves civilian and military customers in approximately 80 countries and operates under a non‑ITAR regime, allowing unrestricted export of its dual‑use technologies.

Ent. Value

LOGIN

Equity Value

LOGIN

Multiples

EV / Revenue

LOGIN

EV / EBITDA

LOGIN

EV / EBIT

LOGIN

Historical Financials (EUR)

Year
Rev
EBITDA
EBIT
2025
LOGIN
LOGIN
LOGIN
2024
LOGIN
LOGIN
LOGIN

Similar deals in Industry & Manufacturing

List of similar M&A transactions (Date, Acquirer, Target, Country, Sector, Deal Context)
DateAcquirerTargetCountrySectorDeal Context
06/2026MDA SPACEBLUE CANYON TECHNOLOGIESUNITED STATESAerospace, Naval & Defense

MDA Space has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Blue Canyon Technologies from RTX Corporation's Raytheon business. This strategic move is expected to significantly bolster MDA Space's presence in the US government and defense space programs market, a segment considered one of the most dynamic in the global space industry. The primary strategic rationale for the transaction lies in the complementary nature of the two companies' businesses. Blue Canyon Technologies brings to MDA Space an established industrial platform in the United States, two manufacturing sites in the Denver region, and a team of over 400 space specialists

06/2026EMZ PARTNERS / BPIFRANCE / AMUNDI PRIVATE EQUITYNEXTEAMFRANCEAerospace, Naval & Defense

Nexteam completed a shareholder reorganization following a competitive process led by Crédit Agricole CIB and Indosuez Corporate Advisory. As part of the transaction, a consortium comprising EMZ Partners, Bpifrance and Amundi Private Equity Funds acquired a minority stake in the company to support its next phase of growth. The new investors succeed Tikehau Capital, which had been a minority shareholder since 2018, while management, led by Ludovic Asquini and Christophe Maury, increased its ownership and retained control of the business through the backing of the long-standing “Friends of Nexteam” shareholder group

06/2026KRAKEN ROBOTICSCOVELYA GROUPUNITED KINGDOMAerospace, Naval & Defense

Kraken Robotics has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Covelya Group, marking the largest acquisition in its history. This transaction represents a pivotal milestone in the company's scale-up strategy and its ambition to establish itself as a leading player in underwater technologies. The combination is driven by a strong industrial and technological complementarity. Kraken brings its expertise in synthetic aperture sonars, high-performance underwater batteries, and autonomous robotic systems, while Covelya complements these capabilities with its acoustic positioning, navigation, imaging, data processing, and underwater surveillance solutions

06/2026LATOUR CAPITAL / BPIFRANCECERBAIRFRANCEAerospace, Naval & Defense

Latour Capital has acquired a majority stake in Cerbair through the first investment made by its Emergence Defense fund, launched at the beginning of 2026 to support the growth of strategic companies in the French and European defense sectors. Bpifrance is also participating in the transaction as a minority investor through the Defense Innovation Fund. The deal follows a competitive process that attracted several specialized investors in the defense and critical technologies sectors, resulting in a complete restructuring of Cerbair's capital with the exit of its historical investors, including several business angels who had been involved since the company's early stages

06/2026SOCIETE GENERALE CAPITAL PARTENAIRES / IXO PRIVATE EQUITY / BNP PARIBAS DEVELOPPEMENTAIR SUPPORTFRANCEAerospace, Naval & Defense

The transaction involves Société Générale Capital Partenaires joining the shareholder base of Air Support alongside existing investors iXO Private Equity and BNP Paribas Développement. This investment marks the third buy-out for Air Support, following previous investments in 2017 and 2022. The new financing is supported by a consortium of banks including Caisse d’Epargne Midi-Pyrénées, Crédit Agricole Toulouse 31, and LCL. The strategic rationale behind this investment is to support Air Support's continued growth and expansion, both in France and internationally, by reinforcing its industrial capabilities

06/2026FJORD DEFENCE GROUPPARTNERTECH KARLSKOGA AKTIEBOLAGSWEDENAerospace, Naval & Defense

Fjord Defence Group ASA has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital of PartnerTech Karlskoga Aktiebolag, a specialized industrial player in precision metal components for the defense industry. This transaction is part of a broader strategy to build an integrated European defense platform, combining critical component manufacturing and expanding the acquirer's industrial value chain. The deal structure involves a mixed payment mechanism, comprising a cash component and a stock component, supplemented by a performance-based incentive scheme for certain key executives of the target company

06/2026BAIN CAPITALEverllenceGERMANYAerospace, Naval & Defense

Bain Capital has entered into an agreement with Volkswagen Group to acquire a majority stake in Everllence, formerly known as MAN Energy Solutions, through a carve-out transaction. Volkswagen will retain an equity interest in the company and remain a long-term partner. The transaction provides Everllence with a new platform for independent development while giving the business access to Bain Capital’s industrial expertise and global operational resources. Following completion, the strategy is expected to focus on expanding the company’s service activities across its installed base, strengthening its position in naval defence, accelerating alternative-fuel platforms supporting the decarbonisation of maritime transportation, and developing distributed power-generation solutions for data centres and industrial infrastructure

05/2026PAI PARTNERSMECAER AVIATION GROUPITALYAerospace, Naval & Defense

The transaction involves the acquisition of a controlling interest in Mecaer Aviation Group (MAG) by the French private equity firm PAI Partners from Fondo Italiano d’Investimento and Stellex Capital Management. The exit follows a highly successful five-year holding period during which the target achieved record financial performance, including 219.3 million EUR in revenue for 2024. The strategic rationale for the deal centers on scaling MAG’s international operations, particularly in North America, and supporting its diversification into fixed-wing and UAV segments

05/2026HIG CAPITALINTERNATIONAL AEROSPACE COATINGS IACUNITED STATESAerospace, Naval & Defense

Global alternative asset manager H.I.G. Capital has finalized, through one of its specialized affiliates, the total acquisition of International Aerospace Coatings (IAC). This primary M&A transaction represents a strategic exit for the private equity sponsor Tiger Infrastructure Partners, which previously held a controlling interest in the aviation services company. The strategic rationale behind the acquisition is rooted in accelerating the international expansion of International Aerospace Coatings to capture expanding market demand for critical fleet finishing solutions

05/2026ABENEX / BPIFRANCETETHYSFRANCEAerospace, Naval & Defense

Abenex has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Tethys, a French specialist in pyromechanical systems, through its second small-cap fund. This transaction represents a secondary leveraged buyout, facilitating a complete exit for the previous majority shareholders, which included a group of business angels operating as a search fund and Bpifrance's Definvest fund. The deal was the outcome of a competitive six-month auction process, primarily targeting financial sponsors, which saw Abenex emerge as the successful bidder against other private equity firms

REFERENCES

Valuation range: EV 3b - 100b EUR

Revenue range: 250M - 500M EUR

EBITDA range: 100M - 200M EUR

Note: This page provides detailed data on a private equity M&A transaction. Detailed and exact financial metrics for the acquisition of EXAIL TECHNOLOGIES by THALES are reserved for mynth community members. Register for free to unlock full data.

Authors: verified mynth contributor (mynth data is contributed by M&A / PE professionals and systematically cross-verified with private deal documents and official press releases).

Press release: view release

Target: exail technologies

Acquirer: thales