Materialise acquires ACTech

Materialise (NASDAQ:MTLS) announced the acquisition of ACTech, a Germany-based leader in producing limited runs of highly complex cast metal parts. The transaction brings together the metal competencies of Materialise, a leading provider of additive manufacturing solutions and software, with those of ACTech into a comprehensive metal manufacturing offering.

ACTech has over 20 years of deep knowledge and experience in the production, treatment and quality control of complex metal parts. The acquisition of ACTech’s expertise and in-house infrastructure will enable Materialise to accelerate the development of its existing metal competence center and take a strong position in the market for the production and delivery of unique, complex 3D-printed metal parts.

Metal cast part produced by ACTech.

“ACTech knows metal and how to shape it to production standard, and we know Metal 3D Printing. Bringing those two competencies together is vital to the delivery of high added-value metal 3D-printed parts for specialized applications,” said Wilfried Vancraen, founder and CEO of Materialise.

Furthermore, the acquisition of ACTech will enable Materialise to develop and improve its software suite for Metal 3D Printing through close collaboration with ACTech, taking advantage of learning from an active metal manufacturing environment.

“Through the acquisition, we are further enhancing the manufacturing and software backbone position that will support the entire industry. For over 27 years, we have always been there as a leading, comprehensive provider of solutions in industrial polymers printing. That position has enabled us to both develop and serve a growing demand for certified manufacturing with dedicated software and solutions. By joining forces with ACTech, we will accelerate that same strategy for metal manufacturing,” continued Wilfried Vancraen.

ACTech customers will gain immediate access to metal 3D-printed parts for pre-production design iterations. Materialise will leverage its Metal 3D Printing expertise to further grow ACTech’s strong position in those markets where complexity and speed are the driving factors.

Materialise acquired ACTech based on a total enterprise value of $52.9 million for a total cash payment of $42.7 million to the sellers. In 2016, ACTech realized German GAAP revenue of $40.3 million with $9.6 million in EBITDA and $2.7 million in net profit. Materialise financed $32.9 million of the acquisition price through long-term bank financing that carries average interest rates of approximately 1.1% and used available cash for the remainder. The transaction is expected to be accretive to EPS immediately upon closing.

Materialise will update the company’s financial guidance for its fiscal year ending December 31, 2017 when it announces its financial results for the third quarter of 2017.

Materialise
www.materialise.com