ABEC acquired by Magnesium Capital

ABEC, one of Europe’s leading independent building automation specialists, has been acquired by funds advised by private equity firm Magnesium Capital, supported by credit provider Dunport Capital Management.

This strategic acquisition marks a major milestone in ABEC’s growth journey, positioning the business for further international expansion and strengthening its role as a global leader in building automation and data centre infrastructure solutions.

Strengthening Leadership in Data Centre Automation

ABEC delivers advanced engineering and control systems for mission-critical environments, including:

• Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS)
• Electrical Power Monitoring Systems (EPMS)
• SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) solutions
• PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) systems

These technologies are widely deployed across some of the world’s largest data centre developers, contractors and hyperscale operators.

Supporting the Global Energy Transition

With growing demand for energy-efficient digital infrastructure, ABEC plays a vital role in helping organisations optimise performance and reduce energy consumption.

A Building Management System (BMS) can control 60%-80% of a building’s total energy usage, enabling significant operational savings and supporting ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) targets.

ABEC’s expanding BMS maintenance services are increasingly critical as organisations focus on:

• Energy efficiency
• Carbon reduction
• Long-term asset optimisation
• ESG compliance

A Partnership Built for Growth

The acquisition will see ABEC partner with Magnesium Capital, a leading investor in energy transition and technology-driven infrastructure businesses.

Magnesium Capital focuses on companies enabling a decentralised, decarbonised and digitised energy system, making ABEC a strong strategic fit due to our expertise in:

• Data centre automation
• Critical infrastructure control systems
• Energy optimisation technologies

The transaction was also supported by DunPort Capital Management, providing flexible dbt financing to support ABEC’s continued growth strategy.

Corporate finance advisors Shaw & Co led the deal on behalf of ABEC’s shareholders following a long-term relationship that stretches as far back as 2013 when Shaw & Co helped the company put working capital facilities in place to support its growth.

Strong Track Record and Global Prescence

Founded in 2004, ABEC has experienced significant growth over the past decade and is expected to achieve a £43 million turnover in FY 2024/25.

Today, we:

• Employ 150+ staff
• Operate across 11 countries
• Support global data centre and commercial infrastructure projects
• Maintains a growing portfolio of BMS maintenance contracts

This international footprint positions ABEC as a trusted partner for mission-critical infrastructure worldwide.

Leadership Commentary

Matthew Morrall, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, ABEC, said: “I am very proud of the growth ABEC has achieved over the last decade and particularly more recently over the last three years. This is credit to the wonderful team we continue to build. Our vision has always involved expanding geographically and we are very confident we can achieve this by staying true to our core values. Working with a partner like Magnesium is key to helping us achieve our strategy. We’re very excited about working together over the next few years.”

Daniel Wild, Partner, Magnesium Capital, said: “Magnesium Capital is delighted to partner with Matt and rest of the ABEC management team and to support ABEC on its next growth phase. Data centre energy consumption has increased rapidly in recent years, ensuring this consumption is managed efficiently is critical for all stakeholders, and in delivering the energy transition. ABEC is equipping its customers with the tools and support to manage their assets effectively over their entire lifecycle.”

Jim Shaw, Founder & CEO, Shaw & Co, said: “ABEC has created itself a leading position in BMS and particularly systems into data centres. It was absolutely the right time to seek a partner that could support the team to capture this growth. We set out with an ambitious deal objective for great long term clients and I am delighted to say that we have achieved this.”

The following advisors also worked on the deal:

• TLT: Legal advice (ABEC).
• Grant Thornton: Financial and tax due diligence (ABEC).
• Claritas Tax: Tax advice (ABEC).
• Walker Morris: Legal advice (Magnesium Capital).
• KPMG: Financial and tax due diligence (Magnesium Capital).
• EY Parthenon: Commercial due diligence (Magnesium Capital).
• Addleshaw Goddard: Legal advice (DunPort Capital Management).

Media Contact

Karl Blockwell

E: karl.blockwell@shawcorporatefinance.com

T: 07769 675441 / 0330 127 0106

About ABEC – https://abec.co.uk/ 

ABEC is a leading system integrator for data centres and other critical and non infrastructure in the UK, Europe and other international markets. The company specialises in the design, installation, and maintenance of Building Management Systems (BMS) and Electrical Power Monitoring Systems (EPMS).

ABEC supports critical infrastructure owners and operators across the full lifecycle of their assets, from design and engineering through to installation, commissioning and ongoing maintenance and optimisation for both greenfield and brownfield applications. With over two decades in operation, ABEC has delivered over 600MW of capacity for some of the world’s leading hyperscalers and co-location data centre owners.

About Magnesium Capital – www.magnesiumcapital.com

Magnesium Capital is a London-based Energy Transition-focused private equity firm that advises on investments in fast-growing technology and tech-led businesses that are enabling the shift to a decentralised, decarbonised and digitised energy system. The firm has a flexible investment approach and looks to partner with exceptional management teams to provide capital and strategic support to companies looking to accelerate their growth and enable the ongoing energy transition.

Magnesium Capital LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK.

About DunPort Capital Management – www.dunportcapital.ie

DunPort Capital Management is a leading European asset management company focused on delivering flexible debt solutions to Irish, UK and Western European-based businesses for growth, acquisition or refinancing purposes.  Founded in 2017 by the then senior executives of BlueBay Asset Management, Pat Walsh and Ross Morrow successfully established the first private debt platform in Ireland in 2013.   With offices across Europe and the UK, today DunPort has invested over €1.3bn of capital to support 69 lower mid-market companies

About Shaw & Co – www.shawcorporatefinance.com

Shaw & Co is a leading corporate finance advisory firm that helps business leaders and SME owners across to buy, sell, or fund the growth of a business. Founded by Jim Shaw in 2011, the company has offices in Bristol, Birmingham, Glasgow, London and Manchester.

Shaw & Co specialises in a range of services from exit strategies, business valuations, acquisitions and sales, to mergers, management buy-outs and the securing of finance for growth. It works across a range of sectors including Automotive, Transport & Logistics; Energy & Natural Resources; Financial Services; Food & Beverage; Healthcare & Life Sciences; Industrials & Chemicals; Leisure, Tourism & Sport; Professional Services; Property & Construction; Technology, Media & Communications; and Wholesale & Retail Trade.

The company has led many notable deals with renowned international companies including the sales of GoProposal to Sage, The Safeguarding Company to Tes (Times Educational Supplement), Senta to IRIS, Pukka Herbs to Unilever, Canopy Simulations to Michelin, and Vouchercloud to Groupon.

It has also helped many businesses fund their growth ambitions, such as CatSci, which received significant equity investment from Paris-based Keensight Capital, and EnSilica, which used debt funding to help create a platform for an IPO.