MAREL takes majority stake in CURIO

The transaction establishes a phased corporate acquisition framework enabling Marel to secure an initial minority stake in Curio before graduating to majority consolidation, with a final call option structured to absorb the remaining equity within a four-year horizon. This staggered ownership transition effectively de-risks the integration process by preserving management continuity under the target's founding chief executive, thereby maintaining critical technical oversight and stabilizing long-term client relationships in the core Nordic and British markets. The combination executes a clear capital deployment rationale by filling a critical upstream hardware gap in Marel's whitefish processing line, allowing the buyer to market an uninterrupted full-line automated solution to global seafood processors. Post-acquisition execution will prioritize scaling the target's localized hardware through the buyer's institutional sales channels, embedding the proprietary Innova software stack across all active Curio machinery installations to drive data connectivity, and capturing unexploited lifecycle service revenues by channeling the target's installed machinery base into Marel's established global aftermarket support grid.

By taking control of Curio, Marel continues its expansion strategy. Previously, the group had completed 3 acquisitions, including Cedar Creek Company in 2019.