WIDER, the Italian shipyard, has announced that Nautical Hybrid Tech, the Monegasque group headed by Marcello Maggi, Zepter Group and Hopafi Holding have acquired the business in its entirety. The new group of investors intend to accelerate the growth of the company and eventually list Wider on the stock exchange within three years. Working from the Monaco office, Maggi steps in as president and sales & marketing director.

Marcello Maggi

Having co-founded ISA, the Italian superyacht manufacturer that is now owned by the Palumbo Superyachts, in 2001 and worked at CRN, Maggi brings with him a wealth of experience. Zepter Group, led by Phillip Zepter, has interests in various markets, but is primarily associated with technology, owning companies such as Swisso Logical, Bioptron and Tesla Hyperlight Optics. Hopafi Holding, the investment vehicle of the Giovannetti, controls two publicly listed companies in Italy and Europe, as well as holding interests in several companies related to energy and sustainability.

“I am very thrilled to take this new challenge and honored to be part of the WIDER team,” comments Marcello Maggi, WIDER president. “We are aiming to continue the leadership in hybrid motor yachting, boosting innovation and research in all the yachts to come. WIDER will be working in a niche segment and focusing on quality and custom-built hybrid motor yachts. One of the main reasons for proceeding with the acquisition was the incredibly high level of management team and staff, besides the extraordinary performance of the yachts in term of comfort, noise, vibration and their eco-friendly soul.”

After entering the superyacht market in 2017 with the delivery of 46m Bartali, followed by 49.56m Cecilia a year later, the yard has had to endure a prolonged period of uncertainty following the departure of the WIDER’s founder and CEO, Tilli Antontelli, in 2017. The WIDER brand has always been associated with pushing the boundaries of hybrid and green technology and, under the stewardship of Maggi, it appears that this is set to continue.

In a statement from the yard, a representative teases that this is the “beginning of a new ear for Wider” and that there is exciting news to come in the near future.

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Wider s.r.l.

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