Net Profit of 30 Billion RMB in Three Years—KKR Is Exiting Again

Originally published by 'China Private Equity Investment' (ID: PE-China) Author: Wei Yajun Photography: Bob KKR (including co-investors) achieved a three-year paper return exceeding 17x. A flawless exit. Recently, Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water treatment and sustainable development solutions, announced its definitive agreement to acquire CoolIT Systems—a developer of data center liquid cooling systems—for approximately USD 4.75 billion in cash (roughly RMB 32.8 billion). Currently, CoolIT Systems is majority-owned by funds managed by KKR. In May 2023, KKR—leading a consortium including co-investors—acquired a majority stake in CoolIT Systems for approximately USD 270 million. The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2026. An expensive acquisition Valuation far exceeds traditional industrial sectors From a terms perspective, this acquisition’s valuation is notably 'expensive.' According to available information, the USD 4.75 billion purchase price represents approximately 29x CoolIT’s projected adjusted EBITDA for the next 12 months—and 24x its projected adjusted EBITDA for fiscal year 2027. This valuation level significantly surpasses typical multiples seen in traditional industrial M&A. Clearly, the elevated valuation directly reflects the extraordinary fervor surrounding the AI infrastructure sector: as global tech giants race to build data centers in pursuit of computing power, thermal management technology has become a critical physical bottleneck constraining AI advancement. Per Ecolab’s disclosures, CoolIT is projected to generate approximately USD 550 million in sales over the next 12 months, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of roughly 30%. This implies Ecolab paid over 8.6x revenue for a company generating ~USD 550 million annually. For comparison, Ecolab’s current market capitalization stands at approximately USD 77.7 billion, with projected 2025 revenue of USD 16.08 billion—implying a price-to-sales ratio of only ~4.8x. Post-acquisition, Ecolab’s addressable market (TAM) will double—from USD 5 billion to USD 10 billion—with the market growing at double-digit annual rates. Ecolab expects the acquisition to lift organic sales growth for its global water business by two percentage points in Year 1, and overall organic sales growth by one percentage point. Starting in 2028 (excluding non-cash amortization), the deal is expected to accrete to adjusted earnings per share. To finance the acquisition, Ecolab will raise new transaction debt. From gaming enthusiast to liquid-cooling leader Public records indicate CoolIT Systems was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Its three founders—Brydon Gierl, Sandy Scott, and Jason Myers—were inspired by their local entrepreneurial ecosystem to reimagine computer cooling. According to company history, Sandy was an avid gamer whose PC graphics card overheating severely degraded his gaming experience. He approached Brydon for help, and the two began early experiments on a kitchen table—aiming to solve this pain point for high-performance computing users.

Viewing Chromatography Media Through the Lens of USD 3.08 Billion: A New Global Market Landscape for 2026—Dominance of Monoclonal Antibodies, Rise of Peptides, and Accelerated Domestic Substitution [Chart]

Report Table of Contents 1. Market Overview 1.1 Definition and Classification of Chromatography Media 1.2 Global Chromatography Media Market Size and Forecast 1.2.1 Global Chromatography Media Market Size by Revenue, 2021–2032 1.2.2 Global Chromatography Media Market Size by Volume, 2021–2032 1.2.3 Global Chromatography Media Price Trends, 2021–2032 1.3 China’s Chromatography Media Market Size and Forecast 1.3.1 China’s Chromatography Media Market Size by Revenue, 2021–2032 1.3.2 China’s Chromatography Media Market Size by Volume, 2021–2032 1.3.3 China’s Chromatography Media Price Trends, 2021–2032 1.4 Analysis of China’s Position in the Global Market 1.4.1 China’s Share of the Global Chromatography Media Market by Revenue, 2021–2032 1.4.2 China’s Share of the Global Chromatography Media Market by Volume, 2021–2032 1.4.3 Comparison of China’s and Global Chromatography Media Market Growth Rates, 2021–2032 1.5 Industry Opportunities, Challenges, Trends, and Policy Analysis 1.5.1 Drivers and Opportunities in the Chromatography Media Industry 1.5.2 Constraints and Challenges Facing the Chromatography Media Industry 1.5.3 Industry Development Trends 1.5.4 Policy Analysis of Relevant Industries in the Chinese Market 2. Global Leading Manufacturers’ Market Share and Rankings 2.1 Global Leading Manufacturers’ Market Share by Chromatography Media Revenue, 2021–2026 2.2 Global Leading Manufacturers’ Market Share by Chromatography Media Volume, 2021–2026 2.3 Comparative Pricing of Chromatography Media Among Global Leading Manufacturers, 2021–2026 2.4 Analysis of Three-Tier Market Participants: Global First-Tier, Second-Tier, and Third-Tier Chromatography Media Players 2.5 Concentration Analysis of the Global Chromatography Media Industry 2.6 M&A Activity in the Global Chromatography Media Industry 2.7 Product Listings of Leading Global Chromatography Media Manufacturers 2.8 Headquarters and Production Site Distribution of Major Global Chromatography Media Producers 2.9 Recent Capacity Changes and Future Plans of Key Global Chromatography Media Producers 3. Leading Manufacturers’ Market Share and Rankings in the Chinese Market 3.1 Market Share of Leading Chinese Manufacturers by Chromatography Media Revenue, 2021–2026 3.2 Market Share of Leading Chinese Manufacturers by Chromatography Media Volume, 2021–2026 3.3 Market Share of Chinese Chromatography Media Participants: First-Tier, Second-Tier, and Third-Tier 4. Production Capacity and Output Analysis Across Key Global Regions 4.1 Global Chromatography Media Industry Total Capacity, Output, and Capacity Utilization Rate, 2021–2032 4.2 Chromatography Media Production Capacity Analysis by Key Global Region 4.3 Chromatography Media Output and Future Growth Forecasts by Key Global Region, 2021 vs. 2025 vs. 2032 4.4 Chromatography Media Output by Major Production Regions, 2021–2032 4.5 Chromatography Media Output Share by Major Production Regions, 2021–2032

Ecolab Inc. Stock Underperforms Monday Compared to Competitors

Jul 20, 2026

Ecolab Inc. shares fell 1.53% to close at $268.65 on Monday, underperforming the S&P 500 and Dow Jones during a rough trading session. This marks the second consecutive day of losses for the company.

MarketWatch

2026-06-10

Ecolab Inc. Insider Trading Activity

2026-06-10

Ecolab Co-COO Sells Shares Worth Over $2.6M

2026-06-11

Ecolab Director Purchases 7,750 Shares in Open-Market Transaction

2026-06-12

Michel Doukeris Purchases Shares of Ecolab Inc (ECL)

2026-06-15

Ecolab (NYSE: ECL) EVP Benjamin Clark Buys 1,000 Common Shares