Advent International acquires u-blox at CHF135 per share to scale

Advent International has closed its takeover of Swiss positioning specialist u-blox after a successful public tender at CHF 135 per share. The buyer vehicle, ZI Zenith S.à r.l., a European affiliate of funds managed or advised by Advent International, will hold more than 98% of the company following settlement. The deal ushers u-blox out of public markets and into a new private ownership phase aimed at faster product development and market expansion.

The transaction arrives as demand for precise GNSS positioning and secure short-range wireless solutions surges across automotive, industrial and IoT applications. u-blox — headquartered in Thalwil, Switzerland and serving more than 10,000 customers — will be positioned to capitalise on growth in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), telematics, and industrial automation. Advent said the move will accelerate the company’s roadmap while preserving its Swiss engineering heritage.

Leadership changes are part of the transition. Andreas Thiel and Camila Japur will take the reins as Co‑CEOs from 1 January 2026, a shift the buyer expects to pair with increased R&D investment and international commercial scale-up. Ronald Ayles, Managing Partner at Advent International, described the acquisition as timely given the “rising need for high‑precision positioning and secure connectivity.” Claudio Simao, Chair of u-blox, highlighted a renewed emphasis on execution: faster innovation cycles and stronger customer outcomes.

Operationally, Advent intends to leverage its global network and industrial software and electronics experience to strengthen supply-chain resilience, broaden product lines and accelerate entry into adjacent markets. Advent’s track record in industrial technology investments underpins the strategic rationale — the firm points to past deals in electronic and industrial components as playbooks for value creation and international scaling.

Because Advent now controls more than 98% of u‑blox’s shares, the private-equity group will commence a statutory squeeze-out and proceed with a delisting in line with Swiss regulatory procedures. The buyer has stated the transaction is the start of a long-term partnership rather than a short-term carve-out — signalling commitments to employees, customers and long-term product roadmaps.