Cibus Capital Agrees to Acquire €85 Million Produce Equipment Maker Aweta

Cibus Capital has agreed to acquire Dutch fruit and vegetable sorting, grading and packing equipment company Aweta from Standard Investment, adding another automation business to its food and agriculture portfolio.

Aweta generates about €85 million in annual revenue, employs more than 250 people and has equipment installed in more than 50 countries. The company is headquartered in Pijnacker in the Netherlands and also has teams in Italy and the United States.

The transaction is expected to complete in the coming weeks. Financial terms were not disclosed. Standard Investment has owned Aweta since 2013 and said it supported operational improvements, product investment and international expansion during its ownership period.

Aweta has spent more than six decades developing systems for sorting, grading and packing fresh produce. Its equipment is used by growers and packhouses, with a particularly strong position in greenhouse vegetables such as cucumbers and peppers.

Cibus said the acquisition fits its focus on automation as food and agriculture businesses respond to labour scarcity and pressure on operating margins. Cibus Fund II already owns another company that uses Aweta equipment, giving the investor direct exposure to the technology before the transaction.

Under Cibus ownership, Aweta plans further international expansion and increased research and development, including investment in software and artificial intelligence capabilities. Aweta's existing leadership team is expected to remain in place.

For the fresh produce sector, the deal puts a globally deployed packhouse technology supplier under an investment group that is building a wider portfolio around agricultural robotics and automation. Cibus said the Aweta transaction brings the number of robotics and automation businesses it backs to six.