Michelin buys inflatable structure specialist AirCaptif

Michelin has boosted its non-tyre business portfolio with the 100 per cent acquisition of French start-up AirCaptif, a firm with “unique know-how in the field of ultralight inflatable structures for protection and insulation.” Announcing its purchase of AirCaptif, Michelin notes that it has been “developing renowned expertise within the field of inflatable structures and highly technical materials” for the past 130 years and the acquisition of AirCaptif will now “allow for much faster development of activities on new markets.” It adds that the acquisition falls within Michelin’s “beyond the tyre” sustainable growth strategy.

AirCaptif offers inflatable structures that feature an ultralight modern assembly. Michelin says these solutions are simple to use and ten times lighter than steel, with a single inflation point for quick and simplified implementation. They find applications in fields as varied as aeronautics, medicine, construction and even leisure.

Established in 2017, AirCaptif currently has a workforce of around 30 but growth plans should see the headcount rise by around 200 over the next five years. Partially helping this increase is an August 2020-launched French government recovery plan that gives AirCaptif the means of relocating activities subtracted to China to France.