ams enters agreement to acquire private gas sensor specialist AppliedSensor

Unterpremstaetten, Austria (4 June 2014) - ams (SIX: AMS), a leading worldwide manufacturer of high performance sensor and analog solutions, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in AppliedSensor, a global leader in solid-state chemical gas sensor solutions for high volume markets, in an all-cash transaction.

Established in 2000, AppliedSensor designs, manufactures and markets chemical gas sensors for appliance, automotive, building automation, consumer and industrial applications. AppliedSensor provides MEMS sensors for the detection of gases such as CO, NO2, NH3, CH4, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as Field Effect (FE) sensors for the selective detection of hydrogen. As an important supplier of safety, energy efficiency and comfort solutions for global mass markets, AppliedSensor is currently developing a dedicated gas sensor solution together with a leading German industrial OEM.

AppliedSensor’s corporate headquarters are located in Reutlingen, Germany, and the group has approximately 25 employees. AppliedSensor’s annual revenues reach the high single-digit million EUR range and the company is profitable. Its largest shareholder is Verdane Capital VI, a Nordic private equity fund, which first invested in the company in 2008. The parties to the transaction, which is expected to close within the next four weeks subject to certain approvals and conditions, have agreed to keep the consideration confidential. ams plans to fully integrate AppliedSensor’s activities into its existing businesses following the closing.

The addition of AppliedSensor’s MEMS gas sensor technology to ams’ expertise in advanced sen-sor design underlines ams’ evolution into a sensor solutions provider focused on industry-leading innovation and best-in-class performance.