PARIS & LONDON & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:
Antin Infrastructure Partners (Paris:ANTIN) announced today that its NextGen investment platform has signed with Power Dot, Arié Group and other current shareholders an investment agreement where Antin will acquire a co-controlling stake in Power Dot, a leading European owner-operator of destination and en-route electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
Founded in Portugal in 2018, Power Dot rapidly expanded into France, Belgium, Luxembourg Spain and Poland to now comprise a network of approximately 5,000 charging points1 in high-traffic tier 1 public locations. This extensive and steadily growing network has been built through Power Dot’s commercial partnerships with large retailers, shopping centres, motorway service stations and fleet operators.
Since inception, Power Dot’s EV chargers have powered more than 26 million fully electric driven kilometers, representing the equivalent of over 4,000 tonnes of CO2 avoided, thereby furthering the EU’s overall aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050.
Antin’s investment to be deployed within the firm’s Nextgen strategy follows the recently announced investment into smart grid developer SNRG. Both investments demonstrate Antin’s commitment to building a portfolio of sustainable and scalable next generation infrastructure companies.
Antin will contribute to the growth of the already strong network of EV charging stations installed and operated by Power Dot. Antin’s team will work closely with the group’s experienced management team to assist in further expanding Power Dot’s EV charging portfolio through enhancing its footprint with existing commercial partners and by further developing Power Dot’s robust pipeline of new locations. Through its ambitious growth plans, Power Dot is well positioned to help usher in the widespread adoption of EV by providing affordable and sustainable fast charging stations in key public locations throughout Europe, thus further contributing to the decarbonisation of transport.
Luis Santiago Pinto, co-founder and CEO of Power Dot stated: “Destination charging is amongst the fastest growing segments by demand, and also one where rapid charging needs are strongest. With strong political support aiming to ban the sale of internal combustion vehicles within the EU by 2035, EVs are expected to account for approximately 50% of passenger car production by 2030. In partnership with Antin, Power Dot is poised to capitalise on these strong market tailwinds that are creating a significant EV charging market."
Jose Sacadura, co-founder and General Manager of Power Dot, added: “Over the past few years, Power Dot has successfully rolled out its model across Europe. Given Antin’s successful track record in scaling platforms and its strong industrial approach, we have found the right partner to support us in accelerating our pan-European network expansion.”
Nicolas Mallet, NextGen Partner at Antin commented: “Power Dot is exactly the sort of company that we envision for our NextGen strategy. Antin has always been at the forefront of identifying long-term market trends and NextGen is focused on the infrastructure of tomorrow. We look forward to working with the Power Dot team to further scale the company to its full potential.”
The transaction is subject to customary approvals from competition authorities and is expected to close in late Q2 / early Q3 of 2022.
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe acted as legal advisor to Antin, with UBS acting as its financial advisor. Linklaters acted as legal advisor to Power Dot and its current shareholders, with Improved CF acting as their financial advisor. EY teams assisted the parties on tax and financial aspects of the transaction.
About Power Dot
Power Dot is one of the fastest-growing owner-operators of charging points for electric vehicles in Europe. Power Dot invests, installs and operates EV chargers with an innovative business model. Power Dot’s mission is to create a charging experience embedded in people’s lives by installing chargers in everyday, high-traffic locations where people naturally park their cars.
With support from the Arié Group and almost four years of operation, Power Dot has invested in hundreds of different locations and is now operating a diverse portfolio of shopping malls, large retailers, gas stations, business centers and municipalities. Power Dot operates in Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Poland and aims to be a leader in destination charging in Europe.
About Antin Infrastructure Partners
Antin Infrastructure Partners is a leading private equity firm focused on infrastructure. With over €22 billion in assets under management across its Flagship, Mid Cap and NextGen investment strategies, Antin targets investments in the energy and environment, telecom, transport and social infrastructure sectors. With offices in Paris, London, New York, Singapore and Luxembourg, Antin employs over 175 professionals dedicated to growing, improving and transforming infrastructure businesses while delivering long-term value to portfolio companies and investors. Majority owned by its partners, Antin is listed on Euronext Paris (Ticker: ANTIN – ISIN: FR0014005AL0).