WS Audiology (WSA) has announced German healthcare outfit ATHOS KG as a new minority shareholder, joining the group’s other investors: T&W Medical, EQT, and the Lundbeck Foundation. WSA’s governance set-up remains unchanged.

In another key April development, the group that parents the Widex and Signia hearing aid brands has welcomed an equity capital injection of some €590 million in total from its existing and new shareholders to further support the company’s successful growth trajectory and long-term strategic ambitions.

 

Who are ATHOS?

 

ATHOS KG is a Munich based single family office with a history in healthcare and life sciences, investing in teams with exceptional science expertise and technology-driven companies with an entrepreneurial and value-based approach.

Lars Rasmussen, Chair of WSA, said “I am pleased to welcome ATHOS as a shareholder of WSA. With T&W Medical, EQT, the Lundbeck foundation and ATHOS, WSA has a strong ownership, committed to supporting the company’s strategic direction and success.”

 

Refinancing transaction lowers WSA’s net leverage

 

A more comfortable position with regards to its debts will help WSA focus on achieving its longer-term ambitions, admits Rasmussen: “I am pleased by the strong commitment of WSA’s shareholders to the company’s continued growth and long-term development. The owners have decided to strengthen WSA’s financial foundation by injecting equity, which will further bring down WSA’s net leverage.”

And the Group CEO, Jan Mäkelä, was similarly upbeat about this April news, although no further financial details have been made public. “In recent years, WSA has delivered solid revenue growth and margin improvement. WSA is the only pure play hearing aid company. With our two complementary brand platforms, Widex and Signia, we are innovating to address two of the most important needs of people with hearing loss, speech understanding in group conversations in noisy environments and natural sound. I’m pleased with the commitment of our owners and I’m confident that we will continue to deliver profitable growth for the benefit of our shareholders,” affirmed Mäkelä.

Source: WSA