Recently,VARTA,a German battery manufacturer founded in 1887,officially applied to the Stuttgart District Court for pre bankruptcy proceedings under autonomous management.
This battery giant with a history of 139 years has supplied batteries for Apple AirPods and produced button batteries for hearing aids.At its peak,its annual sales exceeded 900 million euros,making it a well-known brand in the high-end battery field in Europe.However,it is such a company that has experienced a rollercoaster like fate of restructuring,Porsche transfusion,and now sliding back into the abyss of bankruptcy in just two years.
Walta emphasized that this bankruptcy application is not due to the current inability to repay debts,but to address the long-term funding gap at the group level in advance,especially considering the development after 2027,where funding pressure is particularly prominent.
The'fatal blow'that led to this bankruptcy application stems from the loss of Apple orders.Walta has been supplying button batteries to Apple for a long time,and the current contract will expire in October this year.In May of this year,a spokesperson for Walta confirmed that they would not renew their battery supply contract with Apple in the future.It is reported that Apple has confirmed that the CoinPower rechargeable button battery that comes with the AirPods wireless earphones will be sourced from Chinese suppliers.
The CEO of Walta stated that the company's goal is to continue operating without restrictions within the framework of bankruptcy law,improve the company's cash flow through structural adjustments and external capital injection,and retain as many jobs as possible.
According to the data,Walta is a well-known battery brand in Europe,producing and selling a full range of battery products including micro batteries,household batteries,energy storage systems,and customized battery solutions.It has five production and manufacturing bases in Europe and Asia,and its business covers over 75 countries(regions)worldwide.
In 2025,Porsche,together with its major shareholder Michael Tojner,invested 60 million euros to complete a restructuring and offset most of its debt;However,it has been reported that although Porsche has become one of the shareholders,both it and another major shareholder have recently refused to provide additional funds for the struggling Valta,and creditors have not relaxed their repayment terms,completely closing the self rescue channel.
Dirk Uwe Sauer,a battery expert and professor at RWTH Aachen University,warned that the split of Walther"will be another heavy blow to the German battery industry".There are very few companies like Walther in Germany.If the profit core is divested,how will future innovation receive financial support?"The professor also mentioned that Walther is developing sodium ion batteries,which is seen as a future technology.For Europe,sodium ion batteries are a real opportunity to reduce dependence on China,as the required raw materials are more easily available in the global market.In the opinion of experts,although Valta is facing difficulties,Europe should not easily give up its remaining domestic battery manufacturing capabilities.
From supplying batteries to polar exploration teams in the 19th century,to providing core components for AirPods in the 21st century,and now being surpassed by Asian competitors-Valta has filed for bankruptcy for the second time,reflecting the deep dilemma of the European battery industry in terms of cost,scale,and supply chain competition.
Industry analysis points out that Valta's two crises have exposed common pain points in the traditional battery manufacturing industry in Europe:high customer concentration,high local manufacturing costs,and a lack of price advantages in the face of Asian supply chain competition.Relying solely on debt relief and shareholder capital injection can only provide short-term survival.Without optimizing customer structure and focusing on advantageous segments,financial crises will inevitably resurface.
*The above content is sourced from the internet and is for reference only.
