• ACC Holding joins as a financial investor to support dynamic company growth
• Kanematsu Corporation joins as a major Japanese cooperation with the primary aim of supporting internationalization
• Synergies in the areas of international sales, supply chain and logistics
• di support remains independent and strengthens capital base
• Management remains on board and continue as shareholders in company

 

Eschborn/ Hamburg/ Tokyo, 09 January 2020

With ACC Holding and Kanematsu Corporation, di support GmbH has two new shareholders. The former minority shareholder Fotoco sold its shares in the course of the transaction.

di support is one of the most innovative companies in the field of digital imaging. Founded in 2000 with its headquarters in Frankfurt / Main Eschborn (Germany), di support offers a leading product portfolio for product personalization. The core business is solutions for the instant  printing of photos and gift items. The company is growing dynamically and is, in particular, constantly expanding its range for smartphone users.

ACC Holding from Hamburg has acquired a majority shareholding and will support the dynamic growth of
di support in the future. The Japanese-based, publicly traded company Kanematsu is a new minority shareholder and will support the international expansion of the business and create synergies in the areas of international sales, supply chain and logistics. Kanematsu is one of the largest distributors of photo printers and is active worldwide. The company’s locations in Eschborn and Poznan are to be further expanded. Ralph Naruhn and Matthias Linhart will continue to be managing directors of di support. Both also remain significant shareholders in the company.

di support co-founder and managing director Ralph Naruhn: “We are happy to have ACC and Kanematsu Corporation on board as new shareholders. This innovative shareholder mix of financial investor and international strategic partner will help us to release synergies and to be able to realize our national and international growth plans in the coming years. We can finally scale our innovative products as much as we would like in the market. The partnership is characterized by mutual respect and will bring lasting positive effects to employees, the company and its customers. “

ACC managing director Edward Capel-Cure: “di support has developed an array of new and innovative products and is now at the beginning of the next phase of growth. We are excited to be a partner of the business going forward and help the management team realize their ambitious growth plans on the back of the strengthened capital base and highly complementary partnership with Kanematsu.”

Kanematsu senior executive officer Masahiro Harada: “We are delighted to come across the tremendous opportunity to work together with di support and ACC and help di support independently run and grow the company in supply chain and logistics.  We also believe that di support will establish the foundation for an evolving digital imaging platform and our mutual synergy will create innovative solutions and services beyond instant photo prints.”

The Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) has approved the transaction on December 18, 2019.

 

Imagery

We have provided you with the corresponding image material for this press release under the following download link.
https://we.tl/t-Ma8pqS00OE

( f.l.t.r.) Matthias Linhart (di support), Tomoyoshi Kariya (Kanematsu), Dr. Wolfgang Alvano (ACC), Masahiro Harada (Kanematsu), Ralph Naruhn (di support), Itaru Nose (Kanematsu), Edward Capel-Cure (ACC), Pierre Yamashina (Kanematsu)

 

Further press information:

Should you require further information, please contact the following Email address: pr@di-support.com.
Our team will be happy to assist you with your research.

di support GmbH
Düsseldorfer Str. 13
65760 Eschborn, Germany

T    +49 (0) 6196 / 77 933-124
F    +49 (0) 6196 / 77 933-29
E    pr@di-support.com
W   www.di-support.com

 

About di support GmbH:

di support is one of the fastest growing software companies in Europe in the field of digital imaging. Founded in 2000 with its headquarters in Frankfurt / Main Eschborn (Germany), di support offers a leading product portfolio for product personalization. di support enables top retailers, e-commerce companies, developers and brands around the world to successfully offer an unlimited variety of personalized photo and print products under their own name.

Together with its customers, the company has brought about great changes in various markets and today turns approximately 1.45 billion files into magical products and moments for consumers around the world in over 55 million orders every year. With the slogan “technologies for magic moments”, di support reflects the claim itself and its products. The company has set itself the goal of developing technologies that make digital recordings such as photos and videos an impressive experience again.

 

About ACC Holding:

ACC Holding is a Hamburg based owner managed, independent investor in mid-sized German companies. Focused on long term equity investments in growing mid cap companies, ACC supports its portfolio as a sparring partner for management as well as through the provision of additional equity for investment, to achieve the agreed growth objectives.

 

About the Kanematsu Corporation:

Kanematsu Corporation is one of the leading general trading companies in Japan, established as a pioneer for Japan-Australia trade in Kobe, Japan in 1889.

During 130 years of history, with a pioneering spirit and aggressive creative imagination and ingenuity as its guidelines, Kanematsu expanded its business into a variety of areas over time and developed into a globalized corporation.

Currently, Kanematsu provides a broad array of products and services in areas including Electronics & Devices, Foods & Grain, Steel, Materials & Plant, and Motor Vehicles & Aerospace, and its consolidated revenue has now reached $6.5 billion.

The company is working toward sustained growth in core businesses while making investments in new businesses centered on advanced technology, aiming to become a “Value Creator” by continuing to build new business together with our customers and partners.