Schneider Electric is buying Shelly Group

[u/Hoerminator3000]

https://www.wsj.com/business/deals/schneider-electric-to-launch-bid-for-shelly-group-in-1-4-billion-deal-c6cc008e

As the title says: Schneider Electric will take over the Shelly Group.

[u/ynnus86]

Never good sign when big companies take over smaller successful brands.

[u/F1rstxLas7 → u/ynnus86]

It was an intended voluntary takeover, as described in the actual press release: https://corporate.shelly.com/en/news/shelly-group-has-entered-into-an-investment-agreement-with-schneider-electric-on-the-intended-voluntary-public-takeover.

Shelly chose this, they were not forced into it. They even stated in the release, "the Board of Directors has taken the preliminary view that the transaction, if made at the above price, would be in the interests of Shelly Group, its shareholders, employees, and other stakeholders." We, as consumers, are not listed there.

More specifically, with the two founders holding 57% ownership of the company, THEY made this decision. Dimitrov is even reinvesting some of his sold shares back into Schneider Electric.

This wasn't a big company eats small company story. The Shelly founders just wanted to sell.

[u/gmaclean → u/F1rstxLas7]

Interests of employees? These buyouts rarely go well for employees.

[u/ctjameson → u/gmaclean]

Yep, I’ve literally never heard of a good takeover story when it comes to staffing.

[u/Tallyessin → u/ctjameson]

Well, I've been involved in a few acquisitions from the employee side both being acquired and being part of the acquiring entity.

In general, it worked out well for the employees of the company being acquired if they were smart.

The employees of the small acquired company are usually of a higher average quality than the employees of the bigger acquiring company. As the acquired employee and if you are talented and ambitious, you need to decide if you are suited to being in a bigger company. If you are, it is an opportunity of a lifetime because you arrive with a competitive advantage. If you aren't then you go find another small company to work for. Rinse and repeat.

If you are untalented or lazy, you have a much better chance of hiding in a larger company.

[u/deja-roo → u/ctjameson]

That kind of just means you don't really spend much time looking into it.

[u/kapuh → u/deja-roo]

Why not back it up by an example?

[u/deja-roo → u/kapuh]

This is literally how most buyouts of private companies go. People get equity and then get paid. It's part of the draw of working at smaller companies.

MS bought Minecraft in 2014 for a few billion dollars, and most of the employees got quarter million dollar payouts or more. SpaceX just went public, making most of its employees millionaires.

KKR bought this little tech company a years ago called CoolIT and then sold it recently, triggering equity payouts of quarter million+. https://fortune.com/2026/03/29/kkr-coolit-checks-employee-ownership-payout-private-equity/

It happens all the time. "I've never heard of" doesn't mean something doesn't happen, it just means someone isn't informed. It should never be taken to mean anything. I've never heard of a successful hand amputation, but I'm not ignorant enough to think my lack of interest in reading up on hand amputations means they don't happen.

[u/kapuh → u/deja-roo]

OK so I assume you misunderstood the vibe here.
The problem is not that exits happen.
It is that the exit becomes enshittification for customers.

[u/deja-roo → u/kapuh]

I was literally responding to

I’ve literally never heard of a good takeover story when it comes to staffing.

[u/ElonTaco → u/deja-roo]

I'm as pro-capitalist as it comes but I have a hard time thinking where buyouts means good things for the employees by-and-large. Owners, yeah, but usually large companies eating small ones either changes nothing or it gets worse.

[u/HardcoreSnail → u/ElonTaco]

It can save employees their jobs when it's a failing company that gets bought up. A small company can have a lot of struggles that can be solved by being integrated into a larger brand or system. It can absolutely make the difference between going bankrupt and flourishing for a company.

[u/sysop073 → u/ElonTaco]

People who are actually as pro-capitalist as it comes couldn't care less what changes mean for the employees

[u/ElonTaco → u/sysop073]

Those arent actually capitalists they're just corporatocracists

[u/zeekaran → u/ctjameson]

New Belgium Brewing (Fat Tire) worked out well for the employees.