Intrepid Investment Bankers announced that it served as the exclusive financial advisor to cinematic LED lighting manufacturer LiteGear on its acquisition by Chauvet.
The LiteGear Story
Headquartered in Burbank, CA and started in 2006 by experienced lighting technicians Mike Bauman and Al DeMayo, LiteGear is a pioneer in cinema lighting, known for its industry changing LiteRibbon, LiteMat and LiteTile product families. LiteGear products have been the choice of countless film franchises including Transformers, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Trek, Hunger Games and Divergent among many others.
The Next Chapter
The acquisition by Chauvet will enable LiteGear to continue its industry leadership with LiteGear serving as the cornerstone of the Chauvet Cinema Group, a newly created division of Chauvet bringing together a family of brands serving the image capture space. The Cinema Group will be led by Mike Wagner, who was formerly CEO of LiteGear. Both companies shared a vision of the Cinema Group playing a significant role in supporting and rebuilding the lighting industry following the recent challenging period for film production.
Heard from the Client
“Joining Chauvet enables LiteGear to offer a wider variety of products to our customers than ever before,” said LiteGear co-founder Mike Bauman. “We will be focusing on what the community needs and ensuring that new products come from the work, as LiteGear has always done.” LiteGear co-founder Al DeMayo added, “The ongoing changes in our industry highlighted the need for a strong partner to continue offering the best to our customers. Chauvet’s world-class manufacturing and global reach make it the perfect partner, and we are thrilled about the future possibilities.”
Why This Deal Matters
- Consolidation in the event technology and specialty lighting space is accelerating as companies seek to join forces to eliminate redundant expenses and increase scale to enhance competitiveness and innovation
- LiteGear brought technological differentiation, deep industry relationships and future leadership to Chauvet
- The acquisition continues Chauvet’s trend of being a consolidator in the event lighting space
The Bottom Line
Despite a challenging market for film and television production, industry participants that offer compelling strategic benefits remain able to find attractive strategic buyers. Intrepid has a long track record representing closely held companies in the production technology, specialty lighting and commercial A/V industries and consummating transactions with both domestic and international acquirors. Mike Wagner, head of the Chauvet Cinema Group concluded, “Our objective is clear — we are developing a new playbook to become the market leader in cinematic lighting. By combining the strengths of LiteGear and Kino Flo under the Chauvet umbrella, we are poised to deliver unparalleled innovation and value to our customers. We appreciate Intrepid’s invaluable guidance throughout the transaction process.”