Carlyle and CVC DIF agree to acquire BauWatch from Haniel

Leading global mid-market infrastructure equity fund manager CVC DIF and global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) today announced that they have agreed to acquire BauWatch, the European market leader in technology-enabled remote video surveillance solutions, from Haniel, a leading German family equity company. Haniel will retain a 10% minority stake in BauWatch. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in Q1 2027. 

Headquartered in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, BauWatch helps safeguard large-scale construction projects and important infrastructure such as power plants and substations, renewable energy assets and other key assets through an integrated platform combining remote video surveillance, AI-enabled monitoring and 24/7 alarm response services. As security and resilience across key infrastructure become increasingly important priorities across Europe, organizations are accelerating the adoption of remote, technology-enabled security solutions. 

Since acquiring BauWatch in 2021, Haniel has worked closely with the management team to scale the business. In its capacity as a strategic developer, Haniel invested in innovative technologies and scalable processes to significantly expand the business with entries across major European markets. BauWatch is now active in 12 European markets, operates more than 15,000 active surveillance systems, and has successfully completed over 50,000 projects. Under Haniel’s ownership, revenue grew from €59 million to €153 million in 2025, alongside consistently improving profitability.

Carlyle and CVC DIF will support BauWatch’s next phase of growth through continued investment in innovation, enhancing its product portfolio and accelerating international expansion. Equity for Carlyle’s investment will be provided by the Carlyle Europe Partners platform, which invests in European mid-market opportunities. Equity from CVC DIF is provided by its Value-Add IV fund, which invests in mid-market infrastructure companies with strong competitive positions and significant growth potential, often through buy-and-build.

Al Ghelani, CEO of BauWatch, said: “Since Haniel’s acquisition of BauWatch, we have grown into the European market leader in our industry. I am proud of what our teams have achieved and grateful for the trust, commitment, and support we have received along the way. Together, we have built a strong business and created a great platform for the next stage of our journey. We are genuinely excited about what lies ahead with CVC DIF and Carlyle. We share a clear ambition to strengthen our capabilities and continue growing our business at pace. Most importantly, we look forward to creating even more value for our customers and our people, while building on the strong foundation that has brought us to where we are today.”

Joachim Drees, CEO of Haniel, said: “BauWatch is one of Haniel’s most successful investments in recent years and we have fully delivered on our objectives as a strategic developer. In CVC DIF and Carlyle, we have found ideal partners to accelerate the company’s global expansion with the necessary resources, a highly relevant network and the deep expertise required. For Haniel, this transaction marks a decisive step in our own transformation: together with the planned divestment of our Ceconomy stake, it lays the financial foundation for executing our corporate strategy – in particular, the further build-out of our multi-asset portfolio.” 

Simon Pex, Managing Director at Carlyle, said: “BauWatch sits at the intersection of several attractive long-term trends, including the growing demand for security across construction, infrastructure and renewable energy, and Europe’s broader need for physical resilience. The company has built a market-leading technology platform and a reputation for innovation and operational excellence. We look forward to partnering with the management team and CVC DIF to strengthen BauWatch’s leadership position and support its international expansion.”

Stefan Moosmann, Head of DACH at CVC DIF, said: “BauWatch is the European leader in mobile security and combines many of the qualities we value in infrastructure investments: a key service, a scalable platform and highly recurring revenues underpinned by a substantial, well-invested asset base. The company is well-positioned to benefit from attractive long-term demand trends, and we look forward to working alongside Carlyle and the BauWatch management team to support its continued growth and global expansion.”