YT Industries (“YT”), the global high-quality mountain bike brand (“MTB”), and Ardian, a leading private investment house, have signed a partnership agreement to stimulate and aid the growth of YT Industries.
Ardian will be investing in YT alongside the company founders and the management team. The expansion will have an aim to build out YT Industries’ portfolio, while enhancing customer experience and service, and integrate data-driven decision-making, so they can expand the business across Europe and the US, the largest MTB markets in the world.
Their range of 40 mountain bikes have made the YT brand famous across enthusiasts and professionals alike. Currently, several world-class athletes such as elite downhill professionals Dakotah Norton and David Trummer, are using YT bikes in their training and competitive races.
Jacob Fatih, Co-founder and shareholder of YT Industries, said: “It has nearly been 15 years since my friend and Co-Founder Markus Flossmann and I built our first mountain bike to our own specifications and the rest is history. Our enthusiasm for sport and entrepreneurship is still what drive us every day – and this attitude has made YT one of the top 3 brands in professional mountain biking. We are fully convinced that with our new partner Ardian we will become even stronger, and our brand will continue to inspire both existing and new customers.”
Dirk Wittneben, Head of Ardian Expansion DACH, added: “The combination of one of the most popular performance MTB brands and the underlying structural growth of the international MTB markets provide significant growth potential for YT. The company’s innovative and ambitious founders and management team combine strong passion for the product, a highly successful marketing approach as well as an outstanding online direct-to-consumer distribution model. We are thrilled to be able to support Sam, Markus, and the wider management team to help them achieve their envisaged growth path.”
Ardian’s advisors in the deal were Carlsquare – the partners of SORTIS Invest, with which we are members of Globalscope Partners – one of the leading international organizations of M&A consultants.
ABOUT YT INDUSTRIES
YT Industries was founded in 2008 in Essen, Germany, by Markus Flossmann and Jacob Fatih with the vision to provide high-quality and affordable dirt jump bikes for professional cyclists and bike enthusiasts. Since its inception, the company has evolved into an international and highly respected premium brand in the performance MTB segment. The abbreviation YT stands for Young Talent and the motto “Live Uncaged”, featured across innovative marketing campaigns, inspires the loyal community behind the brand.
ABOUT ARDIAN
Ardian is a France-based, independent private equity investment company. It is one of the largest European-headquartered private equity funds. Ardian manages assets worth $100 billion in Europe, North America and Asia, and has fifteen offices (in Paris, London, Frankfurt, Milan, Madrid, Zurich, New York, San Francisco, Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo, Jersey, Luxembourg, Santiago and Seoul). The firm manages funds of funds, direct funds, infrastructure, private debt and real estate, and has a direct portfolio of more than 150 companies, including Vinci Park, Luton Airport and SPIE. Ardian’s 880 investors include institutional investors, funds of funds, government agencies, sovereign funds, family offices, pension funds and insurance companies.
ABOUT CARLSQUARE
Carlsquare is a partner-run investment banking firm with offices in Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark that supports companies and their shareholders in the implementation of strategic goals. These are owner-managed and market leading enterprises, fast-growing start-ups with innovative technologies and business models, but also venture capital/private equity investors and corporations that want to create growth and increase value together with entrepreneurs. Carlsquare is member of Globalscope Partners.
ABOUT SORTIS Invest
SORTIS Invest is an investment banking boutique, based in Sofia, Bulgaria, part of SORTIS Group. It is a member of Globalscope Partners, a global family of 55 independent M&A firms in 46 countries with a team of 650 professionals and more than 10,000 completed mergers and acquisitions and private equity deals worldwide. SORTIS Invest advises companies on mergers & acquisitions and fundraisings, as well as valuations and financial modelling of business cases. SORTIS Invest has a broad partner network and extensive experience in the fields of corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions.
SORTIS Invest has advised clients in various sectors including Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT), financial services, food and beverages, life sciences, chemicals, education, defense, manufacturing, energy, mining, transport and logistics, hospitality and real estate.
