Private equity house Ardian has acquired a stake in Saal Digital, a German photo products company. Saal Digital is an online platform for high-end photo products in Europe and was founded in 1986 by Reinhard Saal. The business makes and sells products such as photo books, wall prints and photo prints and has more than 160 employees. Its products can be customised and are bought by professional photographers, media designers and graphic designers as well as retail customers. Previous shareholders Nordwind Capital and the Saal family will continue to hold a substantial stake in the company. Robin Saal, member of the managing board of Saal Digital, said: “Our customers include both professional photographers and photo enthusiasts who appreciate our tremendous variety of products and our high quality standards. In Ardian, we have gained a co-shareholder who shares the enthusiasm for our company and our view of the growth prospects.” Marc Abadir, Managing Director in the Ardian Expansion team, added: “Saal Digital has a leading market position in the growing online market for high-end photo products. The company is characterised by strong customer loyalty and has significant growth potential in the German-speaking region, in Europe and beyond.”
