Germany’s MECOTEC, a global leader in the cryo technology industry, has acquired Poland’s Zimno Tech, a leading cryo chamber manufacturer, further boosting the portfolio of its world-renowned offerings and its momentum in the industry.
The partnership will enable MECOTEC to roll out new product lines that will immediately be available globally, said Enrico Klauer, chief executive officer of MECOTEC.
As part of the strategy, a rebranding of MECOTEC and Zimno product lines will be rolled out: MECOTEC’s Cryo chambers, which include the cryo:one and cryo:one+, will now be under the Core series, while Zimno’s Cool line-up, including the 1Cool, 2Cool and 4Cool chambers, will be under the NEO series..
MECOTEC’s single room cryo chambers can provide extremely cool temperatures of up to –85°C, while Zimno’s can go further down up to –110°C.
The value of the acquisition was not disclosed, but Mr Klauer said it will give MECOTEC an exclusive contract with Restore for the next years, including for all new shops to be opened, in addition to the logistics and deliveries of the products, which are expected to be available November 2024.
The expanded product line – which Mr. Klauer said will feature upgraded designs that will provide more diversified offerings – will also allow MECOTEC to offer more competitively- and reasonably-priced products, an essential selling point in order to attract more businesses and consumers to experience the benefit of cryotherapy.
In addition, MECOTEC will also provide comprehensive service and support to the franchise network of Restore Hyper Wellness, Zimno’s franchisee in the United States.
“With our current products, we are positioning ourselves to be more focused on attracting premium clients,” Mr Klauer said.
The decision to partner to acquire Zimno comes at a time MECOTEC is “growing so fast”: it opened a new facility in India and is currently expanding aggressively in the Middle East, especially in the UAE.
The Zimno acquisition is also part of MECOTEC’s strategy of buying into more companies to boost its research, development and production, Mr Klauer said.
“We need to grow in every kind of direction, so we’re looking for acquisitions as well. We’re also looking for some investors, so we’re looking in both directions,” he said.
The acquisition will underpin MECOTEC’s prolific growth: in the past year, it has grown its revenue in the UAE by 95 per cent and in Asia alone by about 250 per cent, proving that cryo therapy is in the mainstream and is being favored by more people as their well-being practice of choice.
Additionally, the company is forging ahead with “a lot of projects” in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. MECOTEC entered the kingdom earlier this year, part of its expansion strategy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), after making inroads into the region through the UAE in 2022.
The UAE has proved to be a perfect springboard for MECOTEC in MENA: from 5 units of its world-renowned cryo devices having been delivered and installed in the UAE when it started there in 2022, the company has grown this count to 38 across the MENA region in a matter of 18 months, 80 percent of which are in the Emirates.
Cryotherapy, a non-invasive method of treating ailments, is used for muscles rehabilitation, relieving a person’s body of aches and pains, and for overall wellness. The cryosessions are done in specialized chambers — “cryo saunas”, as Mr. Klauer terms them — that are cooled to extremely low temperatures, as cold as –85°C to –110° C. The technology is used by a diverse set of people, most notably from those in the wellness, beauty and sports verticals.
Unlike nitrogen-based cryo chambers, which require a constant supply of liquid nitrogen that makes costs expensive in the long term and increases safety risks, MECOTEC´s cryo chambers are electrically operated cold chambers that are safer, more reliable and more comfortable.
MECOTEC has also been able to offer competitive prices, stemming from its productivity enhancements, transparency and investment in production capabilities. The benefits of cryotherapy have never been more accessible, despite economic headwinds posing challenges for operators and manufacturers.
MECOTEC, headquartered in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, was founded in 2000 and has evolved from a pioneer in the cryo technology field to a leading global company for cryotherapy solutions in the medical, wellness and sports industries.
