Transaction encompasses the entire product business of Bosch Building Technologies that was offered for sale. Bosch Building Technologies division to focus on systems integration business in the future.
Bosch is selling its Building Technologies division’s product business for security and communications technology to the European investment firm Triton. The transaction encompasses three business units – Video, Access and Intrusion, and Communication – and thus the entire product business of Bosch Building Technologies that was offered for sale. All 4,300 associates employed in these units at more than 90 locations worldwide will be taken over. The parties signed agreements to this effect on December 12. It has been agreed that the purchase price and other details of the purchase agreement will not be disclosed. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and further customary closing conditions. It is expected to be closed by the end of the first half of 2025.
An outlook for the future and a new departure for the business units
Back in October 2023, Bosch had announced that, as part of its realignment of its Building Technologies division, it would be selling most of the division’s product business.
“It was our aim to find a suitable buyer who will acquire all three security and communications technology business units and offer their associates an outlook for the future. We have achieved that aim. Triton has presented a sustainable and credible growth strategy for the business. As an investor, moreover, it can provide a high level of industrial expertise and many years of experience in taking comparable companies forward,” says Christian Fischer, deputy chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, with responsibility for Bosch Group portfolio management and thus also for this planned transaction.
With its investments, Triton focuses on European companies in the industrial, healthcare, and business services sectors. “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Bosch and to be the preferred buyer for the security and communications technology product business. We want to support the management and employees to continue the strong growth trajectory that this business recently saw by providing not only capital, but also our know-how from having owned and successfully developed other companies in the security space,” says Claus von Hermann, Managing Partner and Co-lead of the Industrial Tech team at Triton.
Peter Loeffler, the CEO of Bosch Building Technologies’ product business, adds: “With Triton as our new owner, its expertise and support we will have a strong base for further, profitable growth. We will work together to push ahead with innovations in the security and communications area – to the usual high quality standards and with comprehensive expertise. The entire team is looking forward to making our new company a success and will remain a reliable partner for our customers.”
Realignment of Bosch Building Technologies
As part of its realignment, the Bosch Building Technologies division is to focus on its regional integrator business, with solutions and services for building security, energy efficiency, and building automation. The goal of Bosch Building Technologies is to become a globally leading supplier of systems integration and to seize the attractive opportunities for growth in this segment. Because of its importance for systems integration, the product business with fire-alarm systems is to be merged with the integrator business and continued.
Following the transaction, Bosch Building Technologies will have roughly 8,000 associates in 8 countries. As a product-agnostic systems integrator with a wide-ranging portfolio of energy and building solutions, the division intends to benefit in the future from digitalization and a growing customer demand for integrated, intelligent, and cross-domain solutions in the areas of building security, energy efficiency, and building automation.
Acre weighs in
Triton also acquired Acre, an end-to-end security solutions provider, back in March 2021. Acre, meanwhile, weighed in on the development.
"We’re thrilled to see this development, as it underscores Triton’s commitment to the physical security space. At Acre Security, we’ve benefited greatly from Triton’s strategic guidance and expertise, and we’re confident Bosch will experience the same level of support and opportunity to thrive. While Acre Security and Bosch will remain independent, standalone companies under Triton’s ownership, we’re excited about the potential to collaborate and share best practices as part of the broader Triton portfolio," the company said in a statement.
It adds: "For Acre, it’s business as usual. Our focus remains on empowering security professionals with smarter, more adaptable, and easier-to-use solutions. This move by Triton only strengthens the ecosystem of expertise and innovation that Acre and Bosch will each contribute to within the physical security industry."