The move transfers IMI’s entire 50.3 percent stake to a management-led group identified as Kronen 3140 GmbH (to be known in the future as V-PTR Beteiligungs GmbH) to focus on electronics manufacturing services.
The sale price is still being negotiated, IMI said in a stock exchange filing on Friday. The deal includes an initial cash payment of €250,000 with the possibility of extra earnings later through an agreed earn-out structure.
VIA, acquired by IMI in 2016 for €47.4 million, builds high-brightness screens, touch panels, and optical display systems used in cars, factories, and other industrial environments.
What IMI is saying?
“This strategic divestment is part of IMI’s portfolio realignment strategy which aims to sharpen the company’s focus on its core strengths in the automotive and industrial EMS sectors,” the company said on Friday.
“The move also supports the optimization of IMI’s global footprint to concentrate capital and management allocation into high-growth, high-profitability markets,” it added.
Previous controversy
VIA has faced controversy in recent years, beginning with a financial investigation that uncovered accounting irregularities and resulted in the removal of founder-CEO Jürgen Eichner.
The company later moved to voluntarily delist from the New York Stock Exchange in April 2024 after repeated compliance notices, low trading liquidity, and the high cost of maintaining its listing.
IMI had owned as much as 76 percent of VIA but was diluted to its present stake after VIA went public in 2020.
Business streamlining
IMI has been streamlining its global footprint, starting with the shutdown of its Chengdu plant and the consolidation of operations in Shenzhen in 2025.
It also sold its Czech Republic site for €10 million as part of a broader cost-rationalization and efficiency program.
IMI swung back to profitability with $16.4 million in core net income for the first nine months of 2025, reversing last year’s $1.1 million loss.
Higher utilization pushed gross margin up to 9.8 percent in the third quarter, while operating cash flow reached $82.6 million and net debt fell to $124 million from $199 million at the start of the year.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
