CVC to acquire Smiths Detection for $2.5B in strategic deal value

CVC Capital Partners has agreed to acquire Smiths Detection, a global leader in threat-detection and security-screening technology, for approximately $2.5B (about £2bn). This deal underscores the rising appetite among top PE firms to consolidate critical security technologies that protect airports and infrastructure.

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Smiths Detection employs roughly 3,400 people across Europe, the United States and Asia, including more than 1,100 field-service engineers and 500 researchers. The business holds a dominant position in aviation security, serving 47 of the world’s top 50 airports, with leading hardware and digital detection capabilities.

The acquisition leverages CVC Capital Partners' proven playbook for corporate carve-outs and scale-ups, positioning Smiths Detection to accelerate investment in technology development and aftermarket services as a standalone business under new ownership.

Industry dynamics support the rationale: the global security-screening space is expanding as airports, seaports and critical infrastructure upgrade their surveillance, fueled by regulatory requirements and continuous passenger growth. Analysts project a mid-single-digit CAGR over the next several years, with multi-billion market sizes in aviation, ports and public venues.

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the second half of 2026. Barclays served as financial advisor to the seller and Latham & Watkins provided legal counsel to the buyer, with the deal financing routed through the CVC Capital Partners platform.

For Smiths Detection, the partnership aims to accelerate product pipelines in automated detection and AI-enabled screening while preserving continuity in aftermarket support. For CVC, it expands its footprint in Europe’s high-security technology space and reinforces its capability to create value through strategic independence and global scale.