KAL Capital Advises Custom Microwave’s Acquisition by Vitesse Systems

by | Jun 22, 2022 | Deal Announcement, Defense, Featured, KAL Capital Updates | 0 comments

Trive Capital announced that it has acquired Custom Microwave, Inc. (CMi), which will join the Vitesse Systems platform. Vitesse Systems was launched in 2018 following the acquisition of California Brazing. The platform is focused on mission critical assemblies that enable the advancement of communication, radar and electronic warfare systems.

CMi is a leading provider of high-performance passive antennas that are engineered for critical space and ground applications. CMi’s engineering and testing expertise combined with advanced manufacturing processes such as electroforming and additive manufacturing will enable Vitesse to support a complete range of complex high-performance RF applications.

David Stinnett (Partner – Trive Capital) stated: “The proliferation of military and commercial satellites has resulted in increased demand for high performance antennas. The addition of CMi will enable Vitesse to support a broad range of LEO and GEO satellite programs and related ground-based systems. CMi will also complement Vitesse’s existing thermal management and precision waveguide manufacturing capability.”

Clency Lee-Yow (Owner and CEO – CMi) commented: “Partnering with Vitesse will allow us to gain broader exposure to a more diverse customer set and accelerate growth for CMi. We are excited to be able to support our customers as the demand for next generation communication systems continue to rise.”

Matthew Alty (CEO – Vitesse Systems) explained: “We are excited to have Clency and the CMi team join Vitesse. CMi is not only a fantastic addition to our existing capabilities, but also a great cultural fit; an innovative people-led business with a long-standing track record of delivering antenna solutions that are critical to the security of the USA, enhance space exploration, facilitate earth observation and enable global communication.”

KAL Capital acted as the sole sell-side advisor to Custom Microwave, Inc.

About Vitesse Systems

Vitesse Systems is a leading supplier of complex cooling systems and communication hardware used in radar, electronic warfare, and data transmission applications. Headquartered in Newark, California, Vitesse operates five manufacturing facilities located in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Nevada. All Vitesse facilities are ITAR Registered and DFARS compliant, serving a broad range of Aerospace and Defense customers.

About Trive

Trive Capital is a Dallas, Texas based private equity firm with more than $4 billion of regulatory assets under management. Trive focuses on investing equity and debt in what it sees as strategically viable middle-market companies with the potential for transformational upside through operational improvement. We seek to maximize returns through a hands-on partnership that calls for identifying and implementing value creation ideas.

The Trive team is comprised of seasoned investment professionals who have been involved in over 100 middle-market transactions representing in excess of $6 billion in revenue across Trive’s targeted industry sectors and situations.