Amadeus to Acquire French Biometrics Company Idemia for €1.2 Billion
Amadeus Expands Global Presence with Idemia Acquisition
Acquisition Details and Financial Terms
April 29 (Reuters) - Spanish travel technology firm Amadeus on Wednesday announced a plan to acquire French biometrics company Idemia Public Security, which is owned by private equity Advent International, for 1.2 billion euros ($1.40 billion) in an all-cash deal.
Strategic Rationale and Market Impact
Amadeus, which operates the world's largest travel booking system, described the acquisition as immediately earnings-accretive, expecting it to accelerate its growth in airports and border checkpoints while enhancing the firm's global presence.
Market Expansion and Revenue Opportunities
The combination of the two businesses should increase Amadeus' total addressable market, or total revenue opportunity, to 50 billion euros from 41 billion, it said.
Deal Timeline and Financial Projections
The closing of the deal is expected in mid-2027 and it includes a potential earn-out of up to 150 million euros on top of the price.
Amadeus expected the acquisition to result in high single-digit revenue growth with expanding operating margins, and provide annual cost synergies of 50 million euros in the medium term.
About Idemia Public Security (IPS)
IPS employs around 3,300 people worldwide and serves more than 600 public and private sector customers. Aside from passenger processing, IPS works with other regulated environments such as access control and government-grade biometric identification and data solutions.
Currency Conversion
($1 = 0.8548 euros)
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Javi West Larrañaga in Gdansk, editing by Andrei Khalip and Louise Heavens)
