Baylin Technologies, the parent company of stadium cellular antenna provider Galtronics, announced an agreement to acquire the Sweden-based Kaelus, a company with leading antenna technologies in the areas of RF conditioning and testing and measurement. The deal, valued at $42 million Candian ($30.51 million USD) is expected to close early in 2026, pending regulatory approvals.
Leighton Carroll, chief executive officer of Baylin and Galtronics, said the acquisition will help make Galtronics more of a “one-stop shop” for antenna customers through the addition of Kaelus’ leading-edge technologies.
“Their technologies are very complementary to us,” Carroll said in a phone interview following the announcement earlier this month. Of special interest to Galtronics, Carroll said, is Kaelus’ expertise in RF conditioning and filtering, which Galtronics will use to further improve its product line. These are important technologies for hyper-directional stadium antennas, a market where Galtronics is actively expanding its offerings.
Carroll also said that Kaelus has innovative technology in the area of “transparent” antennas, an advancement that allows antennas to have other antenna signals of different frequencies pass through the devices. For macro deployments, transparent antennas can reduce the amount of rent a carrier customer needs to pay on a tower, Carroll said. He also said the transparent antenna technology might be used in future multibeam antenna models.
Testing and measurement
Though Kaelus’ own antenna business, which focuses mainly on cellular small cells, is still in its early days, Carroll said their testing and measurement technologies are being widely used. Galtronics uses Kaelus testing and measurement gear in its factories, and at least one major U.S. wireless carrier also uses Kaelus testing and measurement equipment, Carrol said.
“They’re really good at what they do,” Carroll said of Kaelus.
According to the Toronto-based Baylin, it has signed a non-binding term sheet with a Canadian lender for a $30.9 million Canadian credit facility, which Baylin said it will use to fund the acquisition. “I’m pleased to continue the Kaelus journey alongside Galtronics and Baylin as we create a stronger, more strategic partner for our customers,” said Peter Sandberg, president of Kaelus, in a prepared statement. “By combining our expanded portfolio and resources, we are well-positioned to deliver one of the most comprehensive RF solutions in the market and capture significant opportunities in today’s AI-connected world,” he said.
