Access control specialist Salto Systems has acquired Gantner Electronic from private investment house Ardian.
The deal, for an undisclosed sum, will see Gantner – a high-tech company specialising in electronic access, ticketing and billing systems, as well as smart locks for lockers – become part of the Salto family.
Gantner's product range includes automatic and contactless identification solutions, based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. It has established itself in a number of segments – from fitness facilities, visitor attractions and sports venues to corporate and educational sites.
Ardian acquired a majority stake in the company in 2016, after which Gantner expanded its product portfolio to include ticketing and management software for leisure facilities with the acquisition of Syx Automations.
This was followed by the acquisition of Contidata in June 2020, with which Gantner expanded its offering to include cashless payment systems.
The Austria-based company has focused on international expansion in recent years, growing its market share in the US, the UK and the Benelux countries.
Headquartered in Spain, Salto develops and manufactures access control solutions, with a strong presence in education, healthcare, hospitality and retail.
Elmar Hartmann, CEO of Gantner, said: “During the last four years, we have been able to stay on our steep growth curve and double our size.
"With innovative products and integrated solutions for contactless access, ticketing and billing systems as well as flexible workspaces, we are a global player that significantly shapes the market in our segments.
"Thanks to the new partnership with Salto, we can expand our product portfolio, take advantage of important synergies, better target our markets and address customer segments with precision.
"This puts us in an optimal position to continue our dynamic growth. I would like to thank Ardian for their excellent cooperation, which was both inspiring and respectful, and look forward to continuing the successful development of our company together with Salto.”
Javier Roquero, Salto co-founder and CEO, said adding Gantner to the company portfolio offers a “very bright future".
“We are very excited to welcome Gantner to the SALTO family,” said Roquero.
“The Gantner product suite enriches and diversifies the SALTO product offering, will enhance our end user experience, and will improve our ability to continue to deliver the absolute best in electronic access control.”
