Tikehau Capital acquires ScioTeq; OpenGate stays minority partner

Tikehau Capital has agreed to acquire a controlling interest in ScioTeq, the specialist maker of ruggedised displays used in aviation, air traffic control and defence systems, with OpenGate Capital retaining a meaningful minority position and remaining on the company’s shareholder register.

The move gives Tikehau Capital — a diversified alternative asset manager with €51.1 billion of assets under management — a deeper foothold in defence electronics and avionics hardware, a niche that benefits from steady defence budgets and modernisation programmes across NATO and European partners.

ScioTeq traces four decades of product development in mission-critical visualization and embedded computing. The business was carved out in 2021 from its prior owner, TransDigm Group Inc., before being stewarded by OpenGate Capital, which led operational upgrades, sales expansion and technology investments during its ownership.

OpenGate’s stewardship included the separation and operational setup of the Treality business, senior leadership hires, a ramp-up of global sales coverage and targeted R&D into next-generation display technologies such as MicroLED and Mini LED — developments designed for tougher military specifications and longer lifecycle support.

Rob Gibbs, Chief Executive of the ScioTeq Group, said the change of majority ownership will accelerate market entry and product development; Andrew Nikou, Founder and Managing Partner at OpenGate Capital, highlighted that the firm will continue as a partner to support the next growth phase. Both investors are expected to collaborate on scaling international sales and securing defence programmes.

For the wider market the deal underlines two trends: consolidation in specialised defence electronics where scale and long-term support matter, and investor appetite for industrial technology platforms tied to government procurement. Suppliers of rugged avionics displays address a segment where reliability, certification and supply-chain resilience command premium valuations — a dynamic that should sustain deal activity in the sector.