SMITHS DETECTION acquired by CVC

The acquisition of the SomaLogic business unit by Illumina marks a significant strategic maneuver designed to consolidate leadership in the emerging multi-omics landscape. The strategic rationale for this transaction centers on the integration of the target’s high-plex proteomics platform with the group’s world-leading sequencing technology. This fusion effectively creates a unified ecosystem capable of correlating genomic sequences with real-time protein expressions, providing researchers with an unprecedented "end-to-end" view of biological systems. For the seller, the operation allows for a definitive structural refocusing on its core microfluidics and mass cytometry divisions, while establishing a formidable capital position for future inorganic growth. The maneuver optimizes the group’s financial profile by offloading the intensive capital requirements of the proteomics services division and retaining a long-term royalty interest in future product developments. For the acquirer, the integration facilitates the scaling of proteomic-informed genomics, sharpening its focus on high-value applications in pharmaceutical R&D and clinical monitoring. Ultimately, the partnership solidifies the combined entity’s standing as a primary provider of multi-omic innovation, bridging the gap between sophisticated laboratory-scale diagnostics and industrialized scientific discovery standards.

NEXTCHEM has signed a binding agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital of Ballestra Group from its current shareholders. The strategic rationale for the transaction is to integrate Ballestra’s world-class proprietary technology portfolio in surfactants and fertilizers, thereby expanding NEXTCHEM’s current nitrogen-based offerings into phosphate, sulfur, and potassium-based solutions. This acquisition allows MAIRE to establish a more robust European technology platform with a global reach, focusing on the decarbonization of energy-intensive industrial processes. Furthermore, the integration of Ballestra provides NEXTCHEM with immediate access to a significant consolidated backlog, which was expected to exceed €315 million by the end of 2025. The deal is expected to create substantial cross-selling opportunities with MAIRE’s sister company, Tecnimont, particularly for large-scale energy transition and material transformation projects worldwide.

The integration of the target marks a significant reinforcement of the parent group’s fire and industrial safety portfolio. This transaction secures a market-leading position in the high-growth hazardous area signaling segment, which is increasingly driven by stringent international safety mandates. The industrial logic centers on the fusion of the target’s explosion-proof engineering with the group’s existing global expertise in gas detection and fire systems. This absorption allows the group to provide a more holistic life-safety solution for complex manufacturing sites and energy infrastructure. The move acts as a technical catalyst, mapping specialized alarm and notification hardware onto a global institutional infrastructure to drive geographic scaling. By internalizing these specialized notification capabilities, the group enhances its technical operational depth in harsh environments, ensuring it can address the full safety lifecycle, from detection to evacuation.

The global process technology leader has successfully finalized a definitive agreement to acquire the total share capital of the target from a UK-based private equity firm. This strategic transaction represents a definitive move to incorporate specialized "severe service" valve solutions into the group’s broader Flow Control business area. The strategic rationale for the move centers on the acquirer’s objective to broaden its technical operational depth in demanding industrial applications, including sub-sea and high-pressure chemical processing. By incorporating these technical specialists, the organization reinforces its ability to deliver lasting customer value across the entire asset lifecycle. The partnership is designed to leverage the acquirer’s extensive global network to increase service penetration within the target’s large installed base of blue-chip industrial clients. This integration facilitates the creation of a more robust mission-critical valve platform, providing the strategic depth required to navigate the rapid evolution of the energy and mining sectors. The move solidifies the group’s standing as a primary enabler of process reliability and technological modernization in the global flow control market.

Azzurra Capital and Azimut Libera Impresa acquired a 7.9% minority stake in NEXTCHEM. This transaction was executed via the vehicle Azzurra Next One, which purchased the shares from Maire Investments (the family office of the Di Amato family). The strategic rationale for this transaction is to strengthen NEXTCHEM's shareholder structure and validate its growth trajectory ahead of a planned IPO on the Milan stock exchange. The deal allows MAIRE to maintain majority control (82.1%) while institutionalizing the technology platform to accelerate its global acquisition strategy, as illustrated by the simultaneous purchase of the Ballestra Group.

Baglioni S.p.A. has acquired a majority stake in Aeromeccanica Stranich from private equity firm Alcedo SGR (exiting its Fund IV investment) and the owner family. The family will reinvest in the new structure via his holding and continue to support integration and international growth. Alcedo had originally invested in 2016 (acquiring 49% initially) and supported the company's growth from EUR30m to EUR60m in revenue.

Interpump Group has acquired 100% of FARMA S.r.l. The sellers are the club deal vehicle F&P4Biz (which held 74% since 2021), the founding Poma family, and management. This acquisition follows Interpump's purchase of Padoan (a tank manufacturer) in July 2025, allowing for complete product integration. The current management team, including CEO Antonio Dolgetta and COO Andrea Poma, will remain in place.

The group has finalized a definitive agreement to acquire the target, a maneuver designed to fundamentally accelerate the group’s expansion into high-growth vertical markets. The strategic rationale for this transaction centers on a "portfolio-transformation" play, merging the target's industry-leading technical operational depth in separation science with the group’s vast global distribution and engineering infrastructure. This fusion effectively creates a specialized powerhouse in the industrial filtration arena, providing the organization with the scientific talent and technological hardware required to address the increasing complexity of life sciences and HVAC applications.

Rivean Capital has acquired 100% of Engelmann Sensor from Deutsche Private Equity (DPE). The management team will remain invested in the business. The strategic rationale for the exit follows a five-year period under DPE ownership during which Engelmann more than doubled its EBITDA and significantly expanded its international footprint into markets like Canada and the UAE. For Rivean, the acquisition provides a platform to capitalize on the digitalization of the building technology sector. The deal is structured to leverage Engelmann’s high-margin hardware base to upsell software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for consumption data management.

The founding family of Poggipolini signed an agreement to repurchase the minority stake (approx. 28.6%) held by a Club Deal organized by Cherry Bay Capital since 2020. This "Club Deal" brought together about thirty prominent industrial entrepreneurs who provided capital and strategic guidance to transform the company. During their five-year tenure, the investors supported a massive scaling of the business, which grew from EUR14 million in revenue in 2020 to a projected EUR57 million in 2025. This growth was fueled by organic expansion into the Space/Defense sectors and two key acquisitions: Aviomec in Italy and Houston Precision Fasteners (HPF) in the USA. The family is now taking back 100% control of the group, offering a lucrative exit to the club deal investors.