PLUTA restructuring expert Georg Jakob Stemshorn secures investment agreement for Scantinel Photonics

Restructuring expert Mr Georg Jakob Stemshorn from PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH has announced a successful M&A outcome in the proceedings for Scantinel Photonics GmbH: the insolvency administrator today signed a purchase agreement with an international consortium of investors based in Europe and the US.

The company purchase agreement includes significant closing conditions and will only come into effect once these have been met. For example, approval for cross-border acquisitions is needed from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) under the German Foreign Trade and Payments Act (AWG). The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price or other details of the contract and the investors’ names may only be communicated once the transaction has been completed.

Scantinel Photonics develops innovative chips for autonomous driving. The start-up will continue to operate and 22 employees will be transferred under the acquisition concept. Ten employees will have to be laid off. The other members of staff have already left the company of their own accord.

Best possible outcome

PLUTA attorney Mr Georg Jakob Stemshorn said, “We have held excellent discussions in recent weeks and now succeeded in reaching an agreement. We have therefore achieved the best possible outcome for Scantinel Photonics in a very short space of time. The company can continue to work on its innovative technology.”

Mr Stemshorn is being assisted in the proceedings by business lawyer Mr Maximilian König. The PLUTA team has conducted a structured M&A process and negotiated with several interested parties in recent weeks. M&A experts Mr Philippe Piscol and Mr Maximilian Schäfer from Dr. Wieselhuber & Partner have supported the process of finding an investor. Attorney Mr Berthold Straetmanns from law firm Sonntag & Partner has also assisted during the proceedings.

Today, 1 October 2025, the Local Court of Ulm opened the insolvency proceedings for the assets of Scantinel Photonics GmbH and appointed Mr Georg Jakob Stemshorn from PLUTA as regular insolvency administrator. He had already been involved as provisional administrator since 6 August 2025, with the company having filed for insolvency that same month.

Scantinel Photonics was founded in 2019 and is based in Ulm. The company is a leading provider of FMCW LiDAR technology for autonomous vehicles and robotics. LiDAR (which stands for Light Detection and Ranging) is regarded as a key technology for self-driving cars. Compared to existing LiDAR technology (which utilises the time-of-flight principle), FMCW technology enables object detection at greater distances and with better reliability, especially in adverse weather conditions. FMCW LiDAR is therefore a key technology for the mobility of the future.