BKW : Acquisition of IT service provider UMB boosts BKW’s digital-transformation competence and buttresses its growth strategy*

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*Ad-hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 SIX Listing Rules

UMB is a leading independent Swiss IT company with many high-profile customers. As a full-service IT provider, UMB offers a wide range of services for comprehensive technology and business transformation projects, including consulting, engineering, operation services, cloud services, hardware and software. UMB is headquartered in Cham (Zug); it employs around 500 people at 11 branches and has a turnover in the low three-digit million range. The Great Place To Work Institute has lauded the company as Switzerland's best employer on several occasions. At the European level, UMB also ranks among the top ten employers.

For BKW, the acquisition of UMB is a strategic step towards expanding its IT division. BKW's broad customer base demands innovative, comprehensive solutions for digitalising its building and infrastructure business. In its traditional energy and grid business, too, UMB can strengthen the digital-transformation competence of BKW considerably. The acquisition will also allow BKW to make headway in topics such as modern work, collaboration, cybersecurity and cloud services.

UMB will become a part of BKW Building Solutions but remain an independent Group company. The name UMB will be used for the entire IT division of BKW Building Solutions in future. The existing IT companies swisspro Solutions, ngworx and alphaTrust.ch will be merged with UMB in the medium term. Mathias Prüssing, CEO of BKW Building Solutions, is delighted with this significant growth step: "It creates a leading IT service provider with more than 800 employees."

Internal succession solution

UMB's current Chief Sales Officer & Business Development Martin Gartmann will be leading the company from 1 January 2022. The company's former owner and CEO, Matthias Keller, will work for BKW at a strategic level and become a member of the board of BKW Building Solutions. "The industrial logic behind the merger with BKW is clear, and the move will facilitate the successful and sustainable development of UMB. Our customers, partners and employees all stand to benefit from it", Matthias Keller summarised.

The acquisition is set to be completed in the first quarter of 2022 subject to regulatory authorisation.