Ardian sells its stake in imes-icore, a provider of CAD/CAM systems, to EMZ Partners

Ardian, a world leading private investment house, today announced that it has agreed to sell its stake in imes-icore Holding GmbH ("imes-icore" or "the Company") to EMZ Partners, a leading European investment firm. imes-icore currently offers the world's most comprehensive portfolio of milling and grinding machines for the automated production of dental prosthetics. The closing of the transaction is still subject to approval by the relevant antitrust authorities. The parties have agreed not to disclose the financial details.

Since its foundation in 2002, imes-icore has developed from a specialist for individual CNC machine systems to one of the global market leaders for digital CAD/CAM production systems in the dental sector. imes-icore’s main competency lies in machine systems for the automated production of dental prostheses such as caps and bridges, implant superstructures or prostheses. These are used in dental practices, dental laboratories, clinics and dental milling centers.

With the support of Ardian, imes-icore has evolved from a developer of high-tech CNC-CAD/CAM systems and industrial machines to a solution provider focused exclusively on the dental sector characterized by a high proportion of recurring revenues. The number of employees has grown from around 130 in 2017 to over 270 today. In addition to organic growth, the acquisition of Pritidenta, a manufacturer of zirconium consumables in Stuttgart (Germany), PM-Technologies, a service and support provider in Las Vegas (USA), and a stake in the i-ProDens milling center in Hanau (Germany), also had a positive impact on this growth. 

Furthermore, in recent years imes-icore has also successively expanded its range of products to include new machine systems and solutions to address different types of customer groups. This includes 3D printing technology for new innovative production solutions, which it launched in 2021. In addition, imes-icore has developed the "Dental Smart Market" (DSM), a unique proprietary digital platform that combines all relevant CAD/CAM technologies, products and services for customers, distributors and marketplace partners. The company has more than doubled its revenue since 2017 and is now represented at three locations in Europe, the USA and Asia. The distribution network comprises 150 partners.

"imes-icore has taken full advantage of its strategic and technological opportunities in recent years. The company has consolidated its position in a fragmented market environment and expanded its global reach into the USA and Asia via acquisitions and strategic investments. Growth was further supported by the development of new, innovative machine systems and solutions as well as the expansion of the company's areas of expertise. We would like to thank Christoph Stark and the management team for their outstanding performance and excellent cooperation." Marc Abadir, Managing Director Expansion, Ardian

"The leap in development that imes-icore has made since 2017 would not have been possible without Ardian. Ardian's capital, expertise and network, as well as the open exchange with the investment team, have been a tremendous support. We would like to sincerely thank the Ardian team for their commitment. On this basis, we see the potential for additional significant growth and look forward to leveraging our strength together with EMZ Partners as a new entrepreneurial partner." Christoph Stark, CEO and Co-founder, imes-icore