Orth Kluth has advised KION Group AG on the acquisition of a stake in ifesca GmbH, a software specialist in the energy industry. With a stake of around 20 per cent, this makes the KION Group the second-largest owner and strategic partner of ifesca GmbH.

Founded in Ilmenau in 2016, ifesca GmbH specialises in digital energy management. The company offers innovative forecasting software that uses artificial intelligence to help manage energy networks more efficiently in near real time. Through algorithms, the application learns faster and faster the longer it is used, thus continuously improving the forecasting quality and the quality of the data to support users in their forecasts.

By acquiring a stake in the software specialist ifesca, the KION Group plans to offer its customers AI-based software as an end-to-end energy management solution in the future.

The KION Group is one of the world’s leading suppliers of industrial trucks and supply chain solutions. Its range of products and services includes industrial trucks such as forklift trucks and warehouse trucks as well as integrated automation technologies and software solutions for optimising supply chains – including all related services. In more than 100 countries, the KION Group’s solutions improve the flow of materials and information in production plants, warehouses and distribution centres. The Group is the largest manufacturer of industrial trucks in Europe. The Group has more than 36,000 employees and generated revenue of €8.3 billion in the 2020 financial year.

Orth Kluth provided comprehensive legal advice to KION Group AG on the transaction.

Consulting lawyers:

Dr. Kai-Michael König (Corporate/M&A), Lead Partner; Dr. Tim Christian Gießelmann (Corporate/M&A); Dr. Bastian Mehle (antitrust/foreign trade law); Elisaveta Breckheimer (IP); Alexander Falk (Public Law); Katrin Ludwig (Corporate/M&A)