Nomura Employs Two Investment Bankers To Manage Their Customers In Europe And US

Nomura, a Japanese investment bank, has hired two investment bankers to manage its coverage of mobility and automotive customers in Europe and the United States through its Greentech division, which focuses on sustainability.

Nomura intends to leverage on recent consolidation among existing vehicle and equipment producers as well as new startups, some of which are funded by special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), which took Wall Street by storm in 2021.

"You saw a lot of standalone young electric vehicle companies raise capital during the "de-SPAC" uproar." The reality is that the path to success and scale is "dramatically complex," according to Duncan Williams, worldwide co-head of Nomura Greentech.

"I believe those companies... are increasingly likely to be acquired by larger businesses or potentially merge with one another," Williams noted.

Williams cited Bridgestone Corp.'s $391 million acquisition of software startup Azuga Holdings as an example of a deal he expects to see more of as industry suppliers seek to control more of the value chain.

Many nations are providing substantial subsidies to manufacturers of low-emission vehicles and equipment, but EV startups such as luxury sedan maker Lucid and truck producer Nikola are facing a liquidity crunch as increasing borrowing costs and economic fears dampen customer mood.

Traditional automakers have introduced lower-cost electric vehicles, while Tesla has aggressively reduced, igniting an industry pricing war.

"Going forward... there will be a continuity of around US$300 million plus in fees to (Wall) Street, and obviously we are looking to build a material share around that," he said.