Volkswagen’s Porsche AG to raise stake in Croatia’s Rimac to 24%
Volkswagen’s luxury division Porsche AG has agreed to raise its stake in Rimac Automobili to 24%, the companies said on Monday, in a deal that values the Croatian electric hypercar maker at 795 million euros ($947 million).
According to the official website, Rimac Automobili was founded in 2009 from a love for automotive and with the vision to create high-performance cars for the electric era. Today, they are an 850-people strong technology powerhouse focused on designing, engineering and producing electric hypercars and high-performance EV components for the global automotive industry.
The original idea was to create the most powerful (electric) hypercar, Rimac said.
Porsche AG first bought a 10% stake in Rimac in 2018, raising it to more than 15% a year later. Under the latest deal, it is buying a further 8.8% for 70 million euros.
“Rimac is excellently positioned in prototype solutions and small series,” Porsche AG finance chief Lutz Meschke said in a statement.
“Rimac is well on its way to becoming a Tier 1 supplier for Porsche and other manufacturers in the high-tech segment.”
Since Porsche’s first investment, Rimac’s workforce has nearly doubled to 1,000 employees. It is collaborating with carmarkers including Hyundai, Kia and Aston Martin.
“Porsche has been a big supporter of our company since 2018, and it has always been a privilege to have one of the world’s most iconic sports car brands be a part of Rimac.”
said Mate Rimac, the group’s founder and CEO.
Source: Rimac/Reuters