Hampleton Partners advises augmented reality computer vision technology company Simi on acquisition by ZF Friedrichshafen

London, UK & Munich, Germany - 13 May 2019. Hampleton Partners, the international mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance advisory firm for technology companies, has advised Simi Reality Motion Systems GmbH, a leading developer of fully markerless video-based motion capture and analysis software, on its acquisition by ZF Friedrichshafen, the global automotive supplier and front-runner in developing the next generation of autonomous vehicle technology. This is the second transaction that Hampleton has closed with ZF Friedrichshafen in two months.  

“We are excited for the opportunity ahead of us as we embark on this journey with ZF,” commented Pascal Ruß, CEO of Simi. “Hampleton led a structured process and after considerable interest from other parties, was able to execute a great deal with the optimal partner for us. Their outstanding knowledge of the computer vision space and their creativity in terms of potential future uses cases for our technology led to a comprehensive process with multiple “exciting matches”. Now, as a part of an excellent company in ZF, we can’t wait to further develop our platform. Motion is part of what makes everyone a human, and our vision for capturing, tracking and classifying this essential mode of expression remains as clear as it did the day my father, Andreas Ruß, founded Simi almost three decades ago.”

Simi will join a global leader in autonomous development while ZF Friedrichshafen will add mission-critical computer vision systems for its vehicles to enhance their safety, reliability and passenger ride experience. Simi’s technology is able to capture, track and identify human motion to ultra-high precision, and is unique in its ability to calculate object physics using image-based systems.  

Ralph Hübner, Sector Principal at Hampleton commented: “There has never been a more exciting time for computer vision companies as multiple trends take off near-simultaneously. Scores of industries are being transformed  by motion analysis technology, be it in healthcare, entertainment, defence, sports or - most prominently – in automotive".

Heiko Garrelfs, Sector Principal and AR/VR expert at Hampleton added: "We are at a technology inflexion point, where the vision the founders had many decades ago is quickly becoming a commercial reality.  ZF Friedrichshafen clearly have an eye to the future as they partner with a real pioneer in computer vision systems, and we look forward to seeing where Philip and Pascal take the company next with such an outstanding partner.”

Miro Parizek, Principal Partner and Founder at Hampleton commented: “As Hampleton Partners’ third autonomous vehicle transaction in nine months, it is eminently clear that what was once a dream in a driverless future is rapidly becoming a reality. This successful tie-up between Simi and ZF Friedrichshafen proves once again that M&A execution expertise coupled with a genuine and deep industry knowledge results in an optimal transaction outcome.”

The engagement was led by Ralph Hübner and Heiko Garrelfs with Nicholas Milligan supporting the transaction at Hampleton.

Ralph Hübner
Sector Principal
ralph (at) hampletonpartners.com
+49 151 2353 0686

Heiko Garrelfs
Sector Principal
heiko (at) hampletonpartners.com
+49 151 2294 7522

Nicholas C Milligan
Senior Analyst
nicholas@hampletonpartners.com
+44 7423 167237

Jane Henry
jane (at) marylebonemarketing.com
+44 789 666 8155

Hampleton Partners is at the forefront of international Mergers and Acquisitions advisory for companies with technology at their core.

Hampleton’s experienced deal makers have built, bought and sold over 100 fast-growing tech businesses and provide hands-on expertise and unrivalled international advice to tech entrepreneurs and the companies who are looking to accelerate growth and maximise value. The team has substantial experience with transactions in the automotive technology space, underscoring our understanding of the industry drivers and market dynamics.

With offices in London, Frankfurt and San Francisco, Hampleton offers a global perspective with regional and sector expertise in: Automotive Tech, IoT, AI, FinTech, High-Tech Industrials, Cybersecurity, VR/AR, HealthTech, Digital Marketing, Enterprise Software, IT Services, SaaS & Cloud, E-commerce.

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Simi is a pioneer in computer vision software and systems. Its flagship technology allows for fully markerless motion capture and analysis, requiring only simple camera inputs to track, calculate and predict an object’s motion and physics. Simi’s systems have been developed over two decades as a company and is headquartered in Unterschleißheim, Germany.

Further information about Simi is available at http://www.simi.com/en/.

ZF is a global leader in driveline and chassis technology as well as active and passive safety technology. The company has a global workforce of 146,000 with approximately 230 locations in some 40 countries. In 2017, ZF achieved sales of €36.4 billion and as such, is one of the largest automotive suppliers worldwide.

Further information about ZF is available at https://www.zf.com/.