PALLAS CAPITAL Corporate Solutions advises Autolift Group shareholders on strategic partnership with CAPCELLENCE Mittelstandspartner

PALLAS CAPITAL Corporate Solutions GmbH has advised the shareholders of the Autolift Group on entering into a majority strategic partnership with Hamburg-based private equity investor CAPCELLENCE Mittelstandspartner. As part of the transaction, CAPCELLENCE will acquire a majority stake in the Group, while Managing Director Johannes Nestel-Eichhausen and co-shareholder Oleksandr Yakymenko will remain significant shareholders. The partnership is designed to accelerate Autolift’s international growth strategy and further strengthen its service and spare parts business. PALLAS CAPITAL provided comprehensive sell-side advisory support throughout all stages of the structured sales process.

The Autolift Group specializes in the development, manufacturing, and servicing of lifting systems for rail vehicles, buses, trucks, and passenger cars, and ranks among the world’s leading providers in the mobile lifting systems segment. In addition, the product portfolio includes underfloor lifting systems, telescopic side-pit jacks, and specialized solutions for handling bogies, such as bogie scissor lifts, turntables, Shunter, and MasterLift. With production sites in Hungary and Serbia and headquarters in Austria, Autolift delivers its solutions to more than 70 countries worldwide.

Autolift’s high level of vertical integration is a key differentiator valued by its customers. The entire workflow – from technical design and engineering through to final assembly – are carried out in-house. This includes the production of technical components, control cabinet construction, and PLC programming. With its strong European production footprint, the company ensures access to qualified talent while continuously strengthening its international presence.

The Group maintains long-standing relationships with leading players in the rail, industrial, and automotive sectors. Its blue-chip customer base includes ÖBB, SBB, Siemens, and Alstom. Together with its new majority shareholder CAPCELLENCE, Autolift will continue its expansion path under the leadership of Johannes Nestel-Eichhausen. The strategic partnership enables the company to further expand its international market leadership and to continuously drive innovation. 

CAPCELLENCE Mittelstandspartner is a Hamburg-based investment firm specialized in the German-speaking mid-market. Its portfolio companies collectively generate around 250 million euros in revenues and employ more than 2,000 people. CAPCELLENCE takes an active partnership approach, with a focus on driving sustainable growth, fostering operational excellence, and advancing technological development.

On behalf of PALLAS CAPITAL, the transaction was led by Maximilian Baar-Baarenfels and Hans Lassen (Managing Partner), supported by Maximilian Wehofer (Associate Execution), Jakob Schartelmüller (Associate Business Development), and Felix Seidl (Analyst Execution). Legal advice to the sellers was provided by Kinstellar under the lead of Philipp Kapl.