Private equity firm PAI Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Audiotonix, a UK designer and manufacturer of professional audio mixing consoles and equipment, from Ardian, who will retain a minority stake alongside management.
PAI’s investment is intended to support Audiotonix in leveraging “sustained and accelerating secular trends towards the experience economy”, according to a press release. It will also go towards strengthening the company’s R&D capabilities, driving organic growth and pursuing M&A opportunities.
Ardian first acquired Audiotonix in March 2020. During Ardian’s ownership, the company made five acquisitions to diversify its portfolio, developed new products, increasingly focused on software and added to its management team.
In a statement, Colm O’Sullivan and Neil McIlroy, both Partners at PAI, described Audiotonix as “well placed to benefit from positive structural tailwinds in the experience economy and diverse professional audio environments – whether in live entertainment, installed professional audio, music or sports”.
Ardian was advised by Goldman Sachs, Allen & Overy, McKinsey and PwC. PAI was advised by Weil Gotshal & Manges, McKinsey and Alvarez & Marsal. Audiotonix was advised by Liberty Corporate Finance, Macfarlanes and PwC.
Audiotonix designs, engineers and manufactures products for live tours and concerts, theatre shows, TV, film, music recording, sporting occasions and places of worship. Its portfolio, which caters to high-specification professional end-users and sound engineers globally, includes the brands Allen & Heath, DiGiCo, Calrec, Solid State Logic, Sound Devices, Slate Digital and sonible.
Audiotonix distributes its products, which have been used on global tours by artists like Coldplay and U2 as well as at major sporting events including the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup, through around 400 distributors and partners in over 90 countries worldwide, particularly within North America.
