Fincantieri: four acquisitions totalling 600 million, takes a 52.6 per cent stake in NextGeo, followed by a takeover bid
WSense, Graal Tech and Defcomm: the other transactions
(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Fincantieri has finalised four acquisitions in the marine drone and civil and military underwater sectors, for an initial outlay of around 600 million euros. According to a statement, the group has first reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Next Geosolutions, a company listed on Euronext Growth Milan operating in the marine survey and geosciences sector and providing support services for offshore construction: Fincantieri has reached a binding agreement to acquire the 52.60 per cent stake held by Marnavi spa and is “at an advanced stage of negotiations” with the senior management, who will have the right to sell part of their shares and will undertake to reinvest. The sale and purchase agreement values 100 per cent of NextGeo at 780 million, equivalent to 16.25 euros per share (subject to reduction in the event of a dividend distribution by the company). Once it has acquired a majority stake, Fincantieri will launch a takeover bid for the entire share capital of NextGeo, which closed trading on Friday at €16.45 per share following rumours of the negotiations.
The other acquisitions involve Wsense, Graal Tech and Defcomm, “Italian high-tech scale-ups specialising, respectively, in underwater communications and the Internet of Underwater Things, autonomous underwater drones and autonomous surface drones”. According to the statement, the four companies will become part of Fincantieri’s underwater division.
The acquisitions are financed by the proceeds from the €500 million capital increase successfully completed in February 2026, supplemented by other available sources within the group, “with no impact on guidance” 2026 in terms of financial leverage (the ratio of net financial position to EBITDA), whilst the net financial position/EBITDA targets for 2028 and 2030 set out in the business plan are expected to improve.
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