Exclusive advisory to the shareholder of GBTS on the trade sale to Garda Holding

With Garda Holding as strategic partner, GBTS strengthens its European footprint and drives innovation in security and building technology.

May, 2025. ox8 Corporate Finance has acted as exclusive M&A advisor to the shareholder of the GBTS Group (“GBTS”) on the sale to Garda Holding (“Garda”) – a portfolio company of private equity investor EMK Capital.

The GBTS Group, consisting of Gruneberg Gebäudetechnik GmbH and GBTS-Plan GmbH, is a service provider for electronic security technology from Essen and was founded in 2020 by Jens Gruneberg. As part of the Garda Group, GBTS will contribute its expertise to security projects across Europe, thereby supporting the sustainable expansion of Garda and driving innovation in the security and building technology industry.

In addition to the GBTS Group, the Garda Group in German-speaking countries now includes the companies Freihoff Sicherheitsservice, Freihoff Süd, Freihoff Nord, Freihoff Ost, Protego 24, Protego 24 Sicherheitsservice, vi2vi Retail Solution, vi2vi GmbH, vi2vi GMS, vi2vi GMS AG (Switzerland), Schmid Alarm, Gleich GmbH, Gleich IT Service GmbH, Heer GmbH and HERAS.

Jens Gruneberg joined the management team of Freihoff Sicherheitsservice as part of the transaction: “With the new management structure, we can strategically develop internal processes and create the basis for stable, scalable growth at the same time”.

Reflecting on the collaboration with ox8 Corporate Finance, Jens Gruneberg reports: “As a medium-sized business unfamiliar with what to expect during a company sale, we relied on ox8 Corporate Finance as a trusted partner. The cooperation was consistently highly professional, constructive and yet personal, which was a major factor for me as the managing shareholder in such a process. I’m glad to have had the ox8 team by our side for this important milestone — We would cooperate with them again at any time!”

GBTS Group

The GBTS Group consists of Gruneberg Gebäudetechnik GmbH and GBTS-Plan GmbH. GBTS was founded in 2020 by Jens Gruneberg and is based in Essen with additional locations in Hamburg and Berlin. As a manufacturer-independent service provider, the GBTS Group pursues a holistic approach with a focus on security technology.

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Garda Holding

Garda Holding was established in 2023 through the merger of five companies, backed by private equity firm EMK Capital. This created a leading group in the field of perimeter and technical security across Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. In the DACH region, Garda is a leading group of companies specializing in security and building technology. With more than 700 employees, over 15 affiliated companies, and decades of industry experience, Garda offers a comprehensive range of services – from planning and implementation to the operation of highly specialized systems.

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EMK Capital

EMK Capital is a private equity firm managing over EUR 7 billion in assets under management (“AUM”). The firm is currently investing from its EUR 3 billion Fund III and operates from offices in Amsterdam, Frankfurt am Main, London, Madrid, Milan, Mumbai, Munich, New York, Paris, and Singapore.

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