Amadeus IT Group, a Spanish multinational technology company that provides software solutions for the global travel and tourism industry, has announced it is acquiring Vision-Box, a leading provider of biometric solutions for airports, airlines and border control customers.
The acquisition of Vision-Box will bring new capabilities around biometrics hardware and software, adding border control solutions to the Amadeus portfolio. Through this combined offering with Vision-Box, Amadeus will now be able to deliver a full end-to-end seamless passenger experience from booking to arrival at the airport, through border control and boarding.
This acquisition will contribute to Amadeus’ ambition to connect the travel industry through a seamless ecosystem approach. With this in mind, this deal will deliver outstanding biometrics interoperability between airports, airlines and border control authorities. Additionally, it will complement and improve Amadeus’ existing airline and airport value proposition, which focuses on providing a frictionless experience for all passengers, optimising operations and driving effective disruption management.
The use of biometrics in border control is expected to grow significantly in the coming years – with the Biometrics Research Group estimating the global biometrics sector will grow to US$86.1billion by 2028 from its projected 2023 value of US$47.8 billion. This growth is being pushed by the travel industry’s increased focus on the digitalisation of the passenger journey to improve the experience of travel, meet operational pressures and deliver against regulatory demands.
Vision-Box, which is a fast-growing global business with expected revenues of €70 million and an estimated normalised EBITDA of close to €20 million in 2023, is partially owned by Keensight Capital, a private equity fund dedicated to pan-European Growth Buyout investments. Amadeus will be fully acquiring privately-owned Vision-Box for an agreed price (EV) of approximately €320 million. As part of this acquisition, approximately 470 Vision-Box employees will transfer to Amadeus. The deal is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in H1 2024. (£1.00 = €1.17 at time of publication).
