Italian moto gear manufacturer Dainese has exchanged hands a few times in the past decade. In 2015, Bahrain-based Investcorp acquired the iconic brand from Lino Dainese himself for €130M ($137.4M USD). That same year, Lino Dainese established D-Air lab, with the founder holding 75 percent of the share capital and Investcorp controlling the remaining 25 percent.
Of course, Investcorp sold the Dainese umbrella of brands, including AGV helmets and TCX footwear, to the Carlyle Group for €630M ($692M USD) on March 11, 2022. Under the deal, Investcorp’s stakes transferred to the global investment firm, but Carlyle has been open to keeping Lino Dainese involved in the brand he built.
"But I keep a small share,” revealed Dainese. “By contract, I would have to sell (my holdings), but Carlyle offered me to stay with a small share, as founder. I just have to decide how much.”
While Lino Dainese will remain a part of the company that bears his name, the Italian entrepreneur founded the D-Air Lab as a separate entity in 2015. As a result, Dainese will hold on to his majority share of the tech startup as Investcorp’s 25-percent holding transfers to Carlyle Group.
"That's right, this is the breakdown today,” admitted Dainese. “And we will meet with Carlyle in the coming weeks to understand how to best collaborate. We are working on the search for human protection, but we have certainly not neglected the bike, we have many patents."
In recent years, the sister brands have integrated D-Air technology into countless Dainese products. From the D-Air Smart Jacket to the D-Air Racing Airbag, the two parties function best when on the same page. Hopefully, Lino Dainese and Carlyle Group can come to a mutually beneficial agreement that pushes the product forward while also retaining Lino Dainese’s entrepreneurial spirit.
