Munich – WOW Tech Group and Lovehoney, two of the global leaders for sexual wellness products, join forces. Together with Swiss brand Amorana – acquired by Lovehoney in 2020 – they now form the Lovehoney Group (LHG), valued at more than EUR 1 bn. The transaction combines WOW Tech’s powerhouse family of brands, including Womanizer, with Lovehoney’s leading international operations and brands, including Fifty Shades of Grey. LHG’s lead investor is Telemos Capital, the majority owner of Lovehoney since 2018.
The combined group will be led by today's WOW Tech Group CEO Johannes Graf von Plettenberg. Telemos Capital has retained a majority investment in the Group, with CDH Investments, the Lovehoney founders Neal Slateford and Richard Longhurst, Johannes Graf von Plettenberg and further investors led by Munich based Rigeto Unternehmerkapital retaining minority positions.
An international CMS team headed by Dr Jessica Mohaupt-Schneider, Jörg Schrade and Dr Martin Kuhn have advised WOW Tech Group and its shareholders on all legal and tax aspects of the transaction. Recently, CMS advised the former shareholders of WOW Tech Group on its sale to CDH Investments in 2020. CMS also advised the (former) shareholders and WOW Tech Group on several occasions in the past as part of their buy and build strategy forming WOW Tech to a global player in the sexual wellness industry.
The newly created LHG will have global operations across EMEA, APAC and North America, supported by more than 730 employees and expects total revenues of more than USD 400 million for 2021.
Established in Bath in 2002 by Richard Longhurst and Neal Slateford, Lovehoney is a market-leading pleasure products brand. In 2018 Telemos Capital became the majority owner of Lovehoney.
Telemos Capital comprises a team of highly experienced investment professionals that combine the best of private equity and permanent growth capital. Founded in 2017, Telemos identifies and supports exceptional management teams in consumer goods, healthcare services, and business services to help them realise their long-term objectives.
WOW Tech is one of the leading companies in the sexual wellness industry and a provider of premium products in this sector. The Company's primary focus lies in the research and development of new innovative products. CEO Johannes Plettenberg laid the foundation for WOW Tech as early as 2017 when he, together with investors led by Munich Rigeto Unternehmerkapital, took over the German company Womanizer. The following year Womanizer acquired the Canadian sex toy manufacturer We-Vibe, creating WOW Tech Group. In early 2020 CDH Investments became the majority owner of Wow Tech Group.
CDH Investments, established in 2002, is a private equity firm with offices in Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing and has partnered with over 150 companies in consumer and healthcare industries, most of which are global leaders in their respective markets.
CMS Germany
Dr Jessica Mohaupt-Schneider, Lead, Munich
Dr Martin Kuhn, Partner, Munich
Steffen König, Counsel, Berlin
Karen Eldred, Senior Associate, Munich
Lukas Stegemann, Senior Associate, Munich
Florian Kamienke, Associate, Munich, all Corporate/M&A
Viktoria Barthel, Associate, Munich
Jörg Schrade, Partner, Munich, Lead Partner, Tax
Jesko Nobiling, Partner, Berlin, Tax
Dr Marc Seibold, Partner, Stuttgart
Dr Andreas Grunert, Principal Counsel, Stuttgart
Anne Waßmuth, Senior Associate, Stuttgart, all Banking & Finance
Dr Björn Herbers, Partner, Brussels
Moritz Pottek, Senior Associate, Brussels, both Competition & EU
Dr Reemt Matthiesen, Partner, Munich
Dr Markus Kaulartz, Counsel, Munich, both TMC
Dr Christoph Schröder, Counsel, Hamburg, Commercial
Stefan Lüft, Partner, Munich, Intellectual Property
Anne Bettina Nonnaß, Senior Manager Legal Tech, Berlin, Legal Tech
CMS UK
Philip Walton, Senior Associate, Lead UK
Sam Pout, Partner
Toby Lovett, Senior Associate
James Dooling, Associate, all M&A
Anna Burchner, Partner
Preena Gandhi, Of Counsel
Robert Sartor, Of Counsel, all Tax
Anna Soilleux-Mills, Partner
Edmund Roper, Associate, both TMC
Sarah McMaster, Of Counsel
Dilpa Raval, Senior Associate
Ellie Pardy, Associate, all Employee Incentives
David Parrish, Partner
Su Chang Elijha Wong, Associate, both Intellectual Property
Jeremy Mash, Partner, Disputes
Gary Henderson, Partner
Samantha Love, Associate, both Employment
Olivia Jamison, Partner
Alex Ibrahim, Of Counsel
Valentina Keys, Senior Associate, all Environment
Scott Curtis, Senior Associate
Tarikh-Oliver Bull, Associate, both Real Estate
CMS Luxembourg
Gérard Maitrejean, Partner
Mélody Brunot, Senior Associate
Miruna Poenaru, Senior Associate
Marie Dupuis, Managing Associate, all M&A
Frédéric Feyten, Partner
Géraldine Pechine, Senior Associate, both Tax
CMS Switzerland
Dr Daniel Jenny, Partner
Florian Jung, Associate
Dr Ferdinand Blezinger, Associate, all M&A
Dr David Schuler, Associate, Tax
Thomas Zweifel, Associate, Real Estate
CMS Netherlands
Roman Tarlavski, Partner
Bob Barnhoorn, Associate, both M&A
WOW Tech Inhouse
Dr Matthias Korff, General Counsel
Press Contact
presse@cms-hs.com
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