3i Group plc (“3i”) today announces that it has agreed the sale of its investment in MAIT, a leading IT services provider for mid-market customers in the DACH region, to DBAG Fund VIII, a private equity fund advised by Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (“DBAG”). Total gross proceeds to 3i are estimated to be c.£143m, which represents a c.30% uplift on its 31 March 2025 valuation. This represents a 2.7x multiple of invested capital and an IRR of c.27%.
Headquartered in Rottweil, Germany, MAIT provides digitalisation solutions across Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and IT services, supporting more than 7,000 mid-market customers with a particular emphasis on the manufacturing sector.
Since investing in MAIT in 2021, 3i has worked closely with management to accelerate organic growth and drive a successful buy-and-build strategy, completing 14 acquisitions during its ownership. During this period MAIT’s EBITDA more than doubled and its share of recurring revenues increased significantly. The company has also expanded its capabilities, strengthened its relationships with key vendor partners such as Siemens, PTC, abas and Comarch, and broadened its geographic footprint across Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux.
Stefan Niehusmann, CEO, MAIT, said: “Our partnership with 3i has been transformational. Together we have expanded our international presence, deepened our offering with our vendor partners and established MAIT as the leading digitalisation partner for SMEs. We thank 3i for their support and look forward to executing the next stage of our growth strategy under DBAG’s ownership.”
Michael Specht, Partner, 3i, said: “We are proud of what has been achieved with MAIT over the past four years. The company has established itself as a leading platform in IT services for mid-market customers, delivering strong growth both organically and through acquisitions. The management team’s ambition and execution have been central to this success, and we are confident MAIT will continue to flourish in its next phase with DBAG.”
The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to complete in Q4 2025.
