Stercom, a German supplier of onboard chargers and other solutions for electric mobility, is gaining a new investor: the Zapi Group, a global leader in the field of electrification from Italy, is acquiring a majority stake in the Tesvolt subsidiary.
Stercom, based in the small town of Weyarn south of Munich, was founded in 2014. In 2021, energy storage specialist Tesvolt acquired a stake in the company, citing Stercom’s position as a first mover in the field of inductive charging as the reason for this move. However, inductive charging has remained an innovative concept that has not yet established itself on the market.
Nevertheless, Stercom has developed significantly since Tesvolt’s entry. The company’s most important products today are onboard chargers for industrial and commercial vehicles, as well as mobile systems. Stercom is also already focusing on bidirectional charging: its onboard charger, called OBC V2X, can be used both to charge the vehicle battery and to feed energy into the grid or supply external devices.
Inductive charging station remains in the portfolio
In addition to onboard chargers, Stercom’s portfolio also includes battery management systems (BMS) and high-performance energy storage systems. The company also lists an inductive charging station among its products on its website.
Now, the Zapi Group from northern Italy is acquiring a majority stake in Stercom. According to the company, the strategic acquisition is intended to expand the Zapi Group’s portfolio of charging solutions and technical capabilities while increasing its market presence in key growth areas such as onboard chargers and energy storage systems.
“The acquisition of Stercom Power Solutions represents an important milestone in our growth strategy and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to expanding our capabilities to better serve our customers,” said Giannino Zanichelli, founder and owner of the Zapi Group. “This acquisition strengthens ZAPI GROUP’s ability to deliver next-generation charging solutions as demand accelerates for advanced technologies in electric drive applications. The addition of this company’s innovative product portfolio and talented team will help drive continued growth and market leadership.”
Stercom to operate independently
The Zapi Group intends to seamlessly integrate Stercom Power Solutions into its corporate structure. Stercom Power Solutions will continue to operate as an independent company based in Bavaria and will work closely with the other companies in the Zapi Group. While Stercom currently has 55 employees, the Zapi Group has 1,700 employees worldwide and generates annual sales of around 600 million euros. The Zapi Group’s products include electric motors, chargers and fleet management solutions.
It is not known why Tesvolt was looking for a new partner for Stercom. CEO Daniel Hannemann stated: “By collaborating with its strong global investor Zapi, Stercom can continue to develop innovative technologies directly from its location south of Munich, thereby contributing to sustainability ‘Made in Germany’. This is an important aspect for Tesvolt as a technology company based in Wittenberg.”
tesvolt.com, zapigroup.com
