Ardian investment in Chal-Tec

Founder plans international growth with support of Ardian

Ardian, the independent private investment company, announces today the agreement for an investment of approx. 40 percent in Chal-Tec GmbH (“Chal-Tec”), a Berlin-based e-commerce company. This investment will be funded through Ardian Expansion Fund III, which closed in March 2014 with commitments of €500 million. Furthermore, Ardian is providing additional financial resources for the growth of the company. The details of this transaction are not being disclosed, and it remains subject to approval by relevant antitrust authorities.

Founded and managed by Peter Chaljawski, Chal-Tec GmbH is an internationally operating e-commerce company that designs and distributes high-quality products in the Home & Living, Consumer Electronics and Sound & Light sectors. Multi-channel distribution takes place not only via the company’s own platforms, but also via leading e-commerce marketplaces. Since it was founded in 2005, Chal-Tec has been characterized by a comprehensive understanding of market developments and consumer trend. The Chal-Tec product range currently comprises 12 brands sold in 18 European countries. Its best-known brands include the consumer electronics brand auna and the modern living brand Klarstein.

The German e-commerce market saw double-digit growth and revenues of €12.4 billion last year. With growth rates at around 50 percent, Chal-Tec expects to achieve turnover of around €100 million for the current financial year – above the market average. With 300 employees at three locations (Berlin, Bratislava and Hong Kong), Chal-Tec currently generates about half of its sales in Germany and around one-third in other key European markets such as France, Italy, the UK and Spain.

With the support of Ardian, Chal-Tec is now looking to take the next step in its growth. The focus will be on the expansion of brand awareness, refining the product portfolio with new product categories, and a targeted plan of international growth. In addition, the company founder and Ardian will jointly appoint a high-caliber advisory board made up of experienced and well connected personalities.

Peter Chaljawski, CEO and founder of Chal-Tec, said: “Since the founding of the company, we have focused on combining efficient e-commerce and innovative branding in order to offer our customers vibrant products at the best price/quality ratio. In a mature market environment, our international team has turned Chal-Tec into a trendsetting and agile multi-brand company. With Ardian, we welcome an entrepreneurial partner at our side to accelerate our further international expansion.”

Marc Abadir, Managing Director of Ardian’s German expansion team, said: “Chal-Tec is a young, dynamic company that has made a strong name for itself in the e-commerce industry within a very short time. It offers an attractive platform for both further organic and strategic growth. Together with Peter Chaljawski and his strong management team, we look forward to providing additional support for further growth.”