Walberg & Cie. advises AI start-up Wahtari on investment by Hidden Champion HELUKABEL
Munich — Wahtari GmbH (hereinafter “Wahtari”) has founded nLine GmbH (hereinafter “nLine”) and has acquired an investment from HELU Kabel GmbH (hereinafter “HELUKABEL”) in nLine.
The subject of nLine is the optical quality control of cables, wires, steel cables, pipes and hoses. As part of the investment documentation, it is agreed, among other things, that Wahtari will provide nLine with the self-developed AI software and technical know-how for the areas of cables, wires, steel cables, pipes and hoses and that HELUKABEL will open its worldwide distribution network for nLine. In this way, global reach for nLine should be achieved quickly, including in the area of support. nLine products are already in demand all over the world, including in the USA. It was agreed not to disclose the volume of the transaction.
The Walberg team, consisting of founders Manuel Brühl, Dr. Arno Malcher and Dr. Simon Sabel, provided Wahtari with comprehensive legal and tax advice on the project. In particular, Walberg & Cie.'s distinctive interface expertise in the areas of taxes, IT law and transactions was fully utilized when advising Wahtari. In addition to tax structuring and corporate law structuring, issues of legally secure licensing of AI software are central.
“The main challenge was to license Wahtari's AI software, which can be used comprehensively and in a wide variety of industries, precisely and stably, but at the same time flexibly for various scenarios in a very specific, narrowly defined market, to nLine,” says AI expert Dr. Malcher. “Clean tax structuring is then of course always crucial, in particular in order to avoid dry income effects,” adds tax expert Brühl. “The fascinating thing about this transaction is that a very young and extremely innovative company is acquiring the investment of a long-established hidden champion and thus also taking a strong step in the area of digital transformation — packing this into robust yet accurate documentation and negotiating with all parties involved in a targeted manner was a great pleasure,” says transaction expert Dr. Sabel.
Wahtari, based in Munich, develops and sells AI-based image recognition systems for precise quality controls and automation tasks. The company provides the coordinated hardware and software components from a single source in order to fully exploit the potential of AI technology. For their tailor-made complete solutions, the experts from Wahtari combine cutting-edge technologies and deep knowledge of IT security, software development and artificial intelligence with diverse industry experience. In doing so, they rely on both conventional image recognition algorithms and deep learning.
The HELUKABEL Group, headquartered in Hemmingen, Baden-Württemberg, is a leading international manufacturer and supplier of cables, wires and cable accessories. Founded in 1978, the family-owned company has built up broad expertise and in-depth know-how in many industries and key technologies over the years. HELUKABEL products and solutions can now be found in a wide variety of applications: from mechanical and plant engineering and industrial automation to oil, gas and chemicals to building technology, infrastructure, mobility and the supply of renewable energy. With 63 locations and around 2,200 employees in 39 countries, the company is a reliable and responsive partner for its customers worldwide.
Advisor Wahtari
Walberg Law Tax Strategy GmbH & Cie. KG
StB Manuel Brühl, taxes
Dr. Arno Malcher, IT Law, Commercial
Dr. Simon Sabel, Transactions, Corporate Law
HELUKABEL Advisor
Deloitte Legal Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH: Michael Schneider (Partner Corporate/M&A)
Deloitte GmbH Auditing Firm: Georg Trischberger (Partner Tax)
About Walberg & Cie.
Walberg Law Tax Strategy GmbH & Cie. KG is a specialized legal and tax consultancy based in Munich. The founders combine their enthusiasm for legal and tax advice with a strong technological and digital DNA. Walberg & Cie. focuses on corporate law, tax law and the law of the digital world with a focus on digitization, transactions and international aspects. The expertise of Walberg & Cie. is regularly required for complex projects, particularly in the area of digital transformation.
