Highlander Partners, a Dallas-based private investment firm with more than $3 billion of its own proprietary capital, recently announced the acquisition of Liteye Systems, Inc.
Liteye Systems, Inc.
Liteye, a multi-mission defense company, was founded in 2000. The company originally focused on selling thermal and head-mounted displays to military and law enforcement agencies, but in 2015 shifted its focus to Counter-UAS technologies. Since the shift in company strategy, Liteye has grown into a leading manufacturer and integrator of Counter-UAS systems that detect, identify, track, and disrupt hostile unmanned aircraft.
Highlander Partners
In May of this year, Highlander Partners announced the formation of a new company, High Point Aerotechnologies. High Point Aerotechnologies is a holding company formed to enter the rapidly evolving Counter-UAS industry through the acquisition and development of established operating companies, emerging technologies, and industry experts.
The Merger
Commenting on the newly formed High Point Aerotechnologies, new CEO Jim Gavrilis said, “I am extremely excited to take the helm at High Point and work alongside Highlander. We are committed to supporting the defense of our nation against this evolving threat and will remain mission focused on developing needed capabilities for the U.S. and our Allies. With the right team and targeted acquisitions, we have a significant opportunity to create a leadership position in the dynamic C-UAS market. We are in the process of recruiting subject matter experts to join the High Point team, and we intend to analyze both mature businesses and developing technologies for potential acquisition.”
Regarding the acquisition, Kenneth Geyer and Tom Scott, co-founders of Liteye commented, “The Liteye executive team is thrilled to join forces with Highlander to continue the growth of our multi-mission C-UAS platforms, built around protecting lives and critical infrastructure. We feel that the need for advanced C-UAS is more pressing than ever, and we believe that High Point and the broader Highlander team bring the necessary government and military relationships, industry experience, and long-term financial approach to support us in driving Liteye and the C-UAS industry forward.”
Jeff L. Hull, President and CEO of Highlander, commented further on the acquisition, “Despite meaningful private and public investment, many of today’s C-UAS solutions lag advancements in offensive drone technology. However, Liteye’s system of systems approach and technology provide a leading solution to the market compared to many other C-UAS platforms. Needless to say, we are impressed with what Kenneth, Tom, and the rest of the Liteye team have built and we look forward to working together with them to take the Company to new heights.”
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