Cibus Capital has reached an agreement with Standard Investment, and plans to accelerate Aweta’s R&D investment and international growth
Standard Investment has reached an agreement with Cibus Capital, as adviser to the Cibus funds, on the sale of global fruit and vegetable sorting, grading and packing equipment specialist Aweta.
Completion of the transaction is expected in the coming weeks, a statement noted.
Headquartered in Pijnacker, the Netherlands, and with teams in Italy and the US, Aweta has designed, assembled and serviced fruit and vegetable sorting, grading and packing equipment for over 60 years.
Its technology is designed to enable growers and packhouses to optimise yield, reduce waste and meet the exact quality standards demanded by modern retailers and consumers.
The company generates €85mn in annual revenue and has more than 250 employees, with its systems deployed across more than 50 countries.
Cibus Fund II is a sustainable food and agriculture investment fund advised by Cibus Capital, a London-based firm founded in 2016.
One of Cibus Fund II’s portfolio companies is an Aweta customer, with the red Aweta machines running in its sorting and packing facilities for years.
”That first-hand experience, together with Aweta’s technology leadership, differentiated product portfolio, extensive installed base, growing aftermarket potential and mission-critical role in fruit and vegetable operations, aligns closely with Cibus Fund II’s investment themes,” the group stated.
”Under Cibus Fund II’s ownership, Aweta will pursue further international growth and accelerate investment in R&D, supporting the installed base and product innovation, including software and AI capabilities.”
It confirmed that Aweta’s leadership team will continue to lead the business.
“This is an exciting phase for Aweta,” said Filipe Oliveira da Silva, CEO at Aweta.
”After several years of a fabulous cooperation with Standard Investment, we now look forward to working together with such a reputable partner as Cibus to continue to grow the company.
“This partnership will allow us to deliver value-add to all our customers by speeding our innovation and technological long-term ambitions,” Silva commented.
“Labour scarcity is one of the defining challenges in global food and agriculture, putting real pressure on producers already operating on thin margins,” pointed out Rob Appleby, chief investment officer at Cibus Capital.
”Aweta is a leading provider of automated sorting and packing solutions,” he said. ”Partnering with them allows us to help customers raise productivity across the supply chain without compromising jobs that require human judgement and care.
”With this transaction, we now back six robotics and automation businesses that are quietly reshaping how food is produced and we see Aweta as a key piece in the puzzle.”
Guido Grobbink, partner at Standard Investment, said his organisation was proud to hand Aweta over to Cibus.
“Through Standard Investment’s hands-on approach, together with management, we have strengthened the organisation and built a robust platform ready to scale,” he added.
“We are confident that Cibus will build on this foundation and leverage its deep industry expertise to take Aweta to the next level.”
