Deutsche Bank could take a direct stake in the embattled battery manufacturer Varta. The Frankfurt-based lender and British financial investor Blantyre Capital Limited have filed plans with the Federal Cartel Office to acquire minority stakes of more than 25 percent each in Varta AG for review, as the Bonn-based competition watchdog announced on its website on Tuesday. Financial sources indicated that the filing is initially a purely technical step. Should Varta's restructuring fail to gain traction, Varta's creditors must be able to protect their interests, an insider told Reuters. They are currently preparing for such a scenario. Another insider stated it was a purely precautionary measure to ensure access to shares. Deutsche Bank, Blantyre, and Varta declined to comment.
Varta recently had to abandon the production of coin cells in Nördlingen following the loss of its most important customer. Around 350 jobs will be lost as a result. The contract with the anchor customer - who was not named - expires at the end of October, Varta explained in May. In Nördlingen, Varta produces almost exclusively the rechargeable 'CoinPower' cells for Apple's 'AirPods' headphones. These will be supplied by a Chinese provider in the future, an insider had said. This move necessitates a revision of the restructuring concept, it was noted. Negotiations between creditors and Varta are currently ongoing, according to another insider.
Varta fell into distress following a rapid expansion course, and its shares were delisted from the stock exchange in 2025. Varta is owned by Austrian entrepreneur Michael Tojner and the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer Porsche.
(Reporting by Matthias Inverardi, edited by Ralf Banser. For inquiries, please contact our editorial office at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)
Dr. Michael Tojner is a Chairman-Supervisory Board at VARTA AG, a Chairman-Supervisory Board & CEO at Montana Tech Components AG, a Founder & Managing Director at Global Equity Partners Beteiligungs-Management GmbH, a Managing Partner at Wertinvest Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH, a Managing Director at Michael Tojner Industriebeteiligungs und -beratungs GmbH, a Chairman at ASTA Energy Transmission Components GmbH, a Chairman at VARTA Microbattery Pensions-Treuhand eV, a Chairman-Governances Board at Montana AS Beteiligungs Holding AG, a Chairman-Supervisory Board at VARTA Microbattery GmbH, a Chairman-Supervisory Board at VARTA Storage GmbH, a Co-Chairman at Montana Aerospace AG, a Co-Chairman at Universal Alloy Corp., a Co-Managing Director at Montana Tech Components GmbH, a Co-Managing Director at WertInvest Ellwangen Immobilien GmbH, a Managing Director at VI Immobilienbesitz GmbH & Co. KG, a Managing Director at WertInvest Beteiligungs- und Immobilienberatungs GmbH and a Managing Director at WertInvest Park Holding GmbH. He is on the Board of Directors at Aluflexpack Novi doo, Vw Vm Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Vw-Vm Forschungsgesellschaft Mbh & Co. Kg, ASTA Elektrodraht GmbH and Dorotheum GmbH & Co. KG. Dr. Tojner was previously employed as a Partner by Atila Venture Partners Ltd. (Swiss branch), a Managing Director by Best Gaming Technology GmbH, a Senior Partner by Buy-Out CE 2 Beteiligungsmanagement GmbH, a Deputy Chairman-Supervisory Board by EFKON GmbH, and a Vice Chairman-Supervisory Board by Ithuba Capital AG. He received his undergraduate degree from George Washington University and a doctorate degree from Vienna University of Economics & Business.
Deutsche Bank AG is one of the largest German banking groups. Income breaks down by activity as follows:
- investment, finance and market banking (36%): financial engineering (consulting for merger-acquisitions, stock operations, etc.), investment capital, operations on the interest, exchange, and stock markets, market brokerage, specialized financing (for acquisitions, projects, etc.);
- private banking (30.1%);
- corporate banking (23%);
- asset management (9.6%);
- other (1.3%).
At the end of 2025, Deutsche Bank AG managed EUR 691.8 billion in current deposits and EUR 472.6 billion in current loans.
Products and services are marketed through a network of 1,179 branches worldwide.
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