What We Look For

Which Businesses Fit With discoverIE?

We are interested in buying differentiated electronics businesses with strong design and manufacturing capabilities

We are keen to acquire electronics businesses which offer a strong value proposition to their OEM customers with differentiated products.

When we evaluate a potential acquisition, our focus is on confirming that the business has as many as possible of the following characteristics which we regard as the essential “DNA” of our business:

  • Design & manufacture of electronic components, modules or systems
  • Standard products and solutions engineered to meet specific customer requirements
  • Differentiated, not commoditised components
  • Supplying Original Equipment Manufacturers
  • Generating design-wins for long-lived products with recurring revenues
  • Operating in growing markets with excellent prospects
  • Strong cash generation
  • Ambitious, capable management

We will have a strong interest in your business if it matches this profile

Learn more about our business model

We are looking for new platforms and bolt-on opportunities

discoverIE is equally interested in businesses which offer products and technical capabilities that are new to our group and in businesses which overlap with and strengthen our existing activities:

  • A “platform” business is one which shares our DNA and which brings product, technical and geographic strengths which are different from our existing businesses
  • A “bolt-on” business will share both DNA and product capabilities with one of our existing businesses

How we approach bolt-on opportunities

We approach bolt-on acquisitions in a variety of ways depending on circumstances, the degree of fit with an existing business and the nature of the synergy opportunities. For example, if synergies with a discoverIE business are mainly technical in nature, then your business might be operated in a “cluster” with a discoverIE business where the companies work together on design and engineering opportunities to create new value for each other’s customers but remain as distinct operations. On the other hand, if it makes sense to pool sales and marketing resources and share back office functions with a discoveriE business, a close integration to create a single operation with enhanced capabilities and growth potential might be more appropriate.

Deciding what kind of approach to follow is critical to the success of a bolt-on acquisition and we always make such decisions in close cooperation with you and the people who know your business best prior to the acquisition.

Learn more about platforms and bolt-ons