IMA Group Acquisition & Valuation

IMA Group was acquired by BC Partners for $3.4B in February 2021, a 1.9x multiple on $1.8B of revenue.

IMA Group acquisition price

$3.4B

Acquired by BC Partners · Feb 2021

IMA Group revenue at acquisition

$1.8B

Last twelve months · Feb 2021

IMA Group revenue multiple at acquisition

1.9x

EV/Revenue · Feb 2021

Key investors in IMA Group

  • BDT & MSD Partners

IMA Group Overview

About IMA Group

IMA Group is an Italy-headquartered manufacturer of automatic machinery for pharmaceutical processing and packaging. The company produces equipment for filling, capping, labeling, and wrapping in pharma, cosmetics, tea, and coffee sectors. Operations include multiple production sites across several countries serving global markets.


Founded

1961

HQ

ItalyBologna

Website

ima.it

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Product sales

Revenue

$1.8B (Feb 2021)

Valuation

$3.4B (acquired Feb 2021)

Sectors

IMA Group Acquisition

IMA Group was acquired by BC Partners for $3.4B on 10 February 2021.

The acquisition price implies a 1.9x revenue multiple on $1.8B of revenue.

BC Partners, a leading international private equity firm, completed the take-private acquisition of IMA Group (IMA Industria Macchine Automatiche) on February 10, 2021, alongside the Vacchi family, for $3.4 billion USD. IMA is a world leader in the production of automatic packaging machines serving the food and pharmaceutical industries. The transaction was one of the largest take-private deals on a European stock exchange and resulted in the company's full delisting from the Milan stock exchange, with BC Partners and the Vacchi family controlling 100% of IMA following completion. The acquisition was negotiated and finalized during the COVID-19 pandemic and represented a significant investment by BC Partners in a market leader with a strong management team. Financing for the transaction was arranged by J.P. Morgan, BNP Paribas, UniCredit Corporate & Investment Banking, Mediobanca, and Morgan Stanley. BC Partners cited multiple value-creation levers including strategic investments, adoption of new technologies, and organic growth opportunities, while management emphasized the importance of maintaining IMA's independence and accelerating its growth strategy as a leading global consolidator in the processing and packaging industry.

IMA Group acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePriceEV/Revenue
  • BC Partners
10 Feb 2021PE buyout$3.4B1.9x

IMA Group Funding History

IMA Group has 1 recorded secondary share sale and no primary funding rounds.

IMA Group funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsDeal Summary
Jul 2023SecondaryBDT & MSD PartnersBDT & MSD Partners agreed to acquire a minority stake in Italian packaging machinery maker IMA Group, buying out the co-ownership position held by funds advised by BC Partners. The Vacchi family retained majority control of the Bologna-based group. During BC Partners ownership, which began with the 2020 take-private from the Milan stock exchange, IMA completed five bolt-on acquisitions and grew sales by more than 50 per cent and EBITDA by more than 70 per cent; the deal closed in late 2023.

Who has invested in IMA Group?

1 investor has backed IMA Group across its funding rounds, including BDT & MSD Partners.


IMA Group Investors

Investors in IMA Group by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check

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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

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Acquisitions by IMA Group

IMA Group has acquired 8 companies to date.

Last acquisition by IMA Group was on August 1st 2024. IMA Group acquired SARONG (packaging machinery and packaging materials units) for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by IMA Group

SARONG (packaging machinery and packaging materials units)
Omas Tecnosistemi
FASP
Thomas Processing
Description
-
Omas Tecnosistemi is a Parma-based manufacturer of automated machinery for liquid packaging headquartered in Monticelli Terme, Italy. The company specializes in monobloc filling, capping, and labeling systems designed for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, healthcare products, food, and e-liquids. Their equipment supports aseptic processing and small-to-medium batch production with integrated vision inspection for quality assurance. Omas Tecnosistemi delivers turnkey solutions including complete lines for product handling from filling to final packaging.
FASP srl is an Albinea-headquartered Italian firm developing automation systems for electric motor manufacturing. It designs and produces machinery for winding, assembly, and testing processes in the automotive and industrial sectors. FASP serves clients across Europe with customized technological solutions.
Thomas Processing is an Ohio-based manufacturer of pharmaceutical tablet presses, tooling systems, and OTC processing machinery. The company produces single-punch presses, rotary tablet presses, and custom dies for solid-dose production serving contract manufacturers and labs in North America. Equipment complies with GMP standards and supports formulations from nutraceuticals to prescription drugs.
HQ CountryIndonesiaItalyItalyUnited States
HQ City
-
Milan
Vicenza
Chicago, IL
Deal Date1 Aug 202418 Mar 20247 Jul 202110 May 2021
Valuationundisclosedundisclosedundisclosedundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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Investments by IMA Group

IMA Group has invested in 2 companies to date.

Latest investment by IMA Group was on January 18th 2019. IMA Group invested in Inkbit in their $3M Series A round.


Latest Investments by IMA Group

Inkbit
CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals
Description
Inkbit is a Medford-headquartered developer of high-speed 3D printing systems integrating vision-based feedback for mass production. Its Vega printer uses a 16,000-voxel jetting array and supports multi-material printing with elastomers, silicones, and rigid plastics up to 800,000 cubic millimeters per hour. Founded by MIT alumni in 2016, Inkbit serves automotive, consumer electronics, and medical device manufacturers, enabling complex geometries without supports through real-time adaptation.
CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals implements continuous manufacturing under a Build-Own-Operate model for pharmaceutical and generic drug makers at client sites worldwide. Leveraging Integrated Continuous Manufacturing technology from a Novartis-MIT collaboration, the company handles full development and production cycles. It also partners with U.S. hospital systems and pharmacy chains to produce high-quality generics domestically.
HQ CountryUnited StatesUnited States
HQ City
Boston, MA
Boston, MA
Deal Date18 Jan 201918 Jun 2014
RoundSeries ASeries A
Raised$3M$3M
InvestorsMassVentures-
Valuation$13Mundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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IMA Group Competitors

IMA Group competitors include listed companies like Nabtesco, Japan Steel Works, Doosan Robotics and Escorts Kubota, and private ones like Jiangsu KATOP Automation and Huandong Technology.

Public and private companies comparable to IMA Group
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
NabtescoJapanJapanPublicly listed$2B$251M$3.4B1.5x
Japan Steel WorksJapanJapanPublicly listed$1.8B$241M$3.5B1.9x
Doosan RoboticsSouth KoreaSouth KoreaPublicly listed$24M($41M)$3.3B85.1x
Escorts KubotaIndiaIndiaPublicly listed$1.2B$180M$3.2B2.0x
Jiangsu KATOP AutomationChinaLiyangPrivate--$573M-
Huandong TechnologyChinaHangzhouPrivate--$480M-

IMA Group Public Comps

IMA Group is no longer listed, but its public comps include Nabtesco, Japan Steel Works, Doosan Robotics, Escorts Kubota, GPGI, Kadant, All Ring Tech, NuScale Power, Avic Aviation High-Tech and Sany Heavy Energy.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Nabtesco$2B$251M1.6x1.5x12.8x10.6x
Japan Steel Works$1.8B$241M2.0x1.9x15.0x15.5x
Doosan Robotics$24M($41M)130.7x85.1x(76.6x)(106.1x)
Escorts Kubota$1.2B$180M2.2x2.0x14.2x16.1x
GPGI$60M($223M)59.7x2.3x(16.0x)8.0x
Kadant$1.1B$210M3.4x3.1x16.8x14.3x
All Ring Tech$168M$58M21.1x14.0x61.5x42.5x
NuScale Power$31M($663M)82.3x122.0x(3.9x)(7.3x)

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Common questions about IMA Group

When was IMA Group founded?IMA Group was founded in 1961.
Where is IMA Group headquartered?IMA Group is headquartered in Bologna, Italy.
Is IMA Group publicly listed?No, IMA Group was acquired by BC Partners in February 2021.
Who acquired IMA Group?IMA Group was acquired by BC Partners in February 2021.
How much was IMA Group acquired for?IMA Group was acquired for $3.4B in February 2021, a 1.9x revenue multiple.
Who are IMA Group's investors?IMA Group's investors include BDT & MSD Partners.
Which companies are comparable to IMA Group?Companies comparable to IMA Group include Nabtesco, Japan Steel Works, Doosan Robotics, Escorts Kubota, Jiangsu KATOP Automation and Huandong Technology.
How many companies has IMA Group acquired?IMA Group has acquired 8 companies, including SARONG (packaging machinery and packaging materials units), Omas Tecnosistemi, FASP, Thomas Processing and Atop.
What was the largest acquisition by IMA Group?The $651M acquisition of Atop in May 2019 is the largest acquisition IMA Group has made to date.
How many companies has IMA Group invested in?IMA Group has invested in 2 companies, including Inkbit and CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals.
What was IMA Group's last investment?In January 2019, IMA Group invested in Inkbit's $3M Series A alongside MassVentures.

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