Private equity powerhouse Warburg Pincus LLC announced Monday it will acquire PSI Software SE, a Berlin-based energy and industrial software firm, in a blockbuster €702 million ($812 million) deal that underscores its growing ambitions in the global energy and industrial technology markets.
Through its subsidiary Zest BidCo GmbH, the firm will launch a voluntary public takeover offer for PSI, offering €45 in cash per share—a striking 84% premium over PSI’s recent closing price on Xetra, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange’s electronic trading platform.
The transaction, financed through a mix of equity and debt, represents one of the largest recent cross-border acquisitions in the European industrial software sector.
Legal and Financial Powerhouses Back the Deal
The deal brings together some of the world’s most elite advisors. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is steering Warburg Pincus through the acquisition, led by corporate partner Benjamin Leyendecker in Munich. J.P. Morgan serves as the financial adviser.
On PSI’s side, Linklaters LLP is leading counsel with corporate and M&A partner Klaus von der Linden at the helm, while Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE acts as PSI’s financial adviser.
Warburg Pincus managing directors Max Fowinkel and Ryan Dalton described the partnership as a strategic leap forward:
“We are delighted to partner with PSI to further strengthen its position as a leading global energy and industrial technology platform,” they said in a joint statement.
