The Owners of the Legendary Leica Are Trying to Sell Their Company 0 12

This is reported by Bloomberg, citing its informed sources who wished to remain anonymous.

Among the potential buyers of Leica are HSG (formerly Sequoia Capital China) and Altor Equity Partners. The message states that after the deal is completed, the Kaufmann family will have the opportunity to reinvest the proceeds.

It is noted that negotiations are currently at an early stage, so there are no guarantees that the deal will take place. Official representatives of Altor, HSG, Blackstone, and Leica declined to comment on the matter.

Leica, which revolutionized photography by making cameras more portable, has its history dating back to the mid-19th century. German engineer Carl Kellner founded the "Optical Institute" in the German city of Wetzlar in 1849, but at that time it was engaged in the production of glasses and microscopes.

The first model of the Leica camera, the Leica I, began production in late 1924, and the company itself changed its name several times throughout its history, finally becoming Leica in 1986.

In the past, Leica was a public company for some time until the Kaufmann family bought it back into private ownership in 2012. In 2005, Leica experienced a crisis when significant drops in sales led to financial difficulties.

The last financial year, which ended for Leica in March 2025, allowed for a revenue increase of 7.6% to €596 million, driven by growth in the core division and mobile segment.