Houlihan Lokey Advises the Shareholders of SEMA Software

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that SEMA Software, a portfolio company of VIA equity and LEA Partners, has been acquired by Bregal Unternehmerkapital. The transaction closed on 13 May 2022.

Founded in 1984, SEMA offers solutions covering the full range of activities around timber and stairs construction for carpentries and prefabrication firms. The software suite provides one uniform, easy-to-use program surface with applications that comprise all relevant fields, from 2D/3D CAD planning and design and photorealistic visualisation to calculation and tender preparation and production plans and working drawings. With a significant market share in Germany, Austria, France, Italy, and Switzerland, SEMA maintains a remarkable customer base of more than 10,500 carpentries and prefab house manufacturers.

VIA equity and LEA Partners, as co-investors, acquired a controlling stake in SEMA in 2019 to support the company in its mission to expand its market leadership position and achieve operational excellence. Under this ownership, SEMA has experienced tremendous top- and bottom-line growth, building upon its best-in-class products and great customer relationships. In addition, as part of the investment strategy, SEMA established a strong second-level management, invested in its technology platform, acquired an ERP/CRM software provider, and executed various pricing and product bundling initiatives.

The existing shareholders, VIA equity, LEA Partners, and SEMA CEO Alexander Neuß, have decided to further accelerate the growth of SEMA, with Bregal Unternehmerkapital joining as the new majority shareholder. As part of the transaction, VIA equity and Alexander Neuß will co-invest with Bregal Unternehmerkapital, while LEA Partners has decided to exit its investment in SEMA.

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to SEMA and assisted the management and shareholders throughout the transaction, including management presentation and business plan preparation, due diligence process coordination, and transaction negotiations.