Vendekin Acquires 35% Stake in VBI to Deepen European Presence

Vendekin Technologies, an unattended retail technology company based in Pune, India, has acquired a 35% strategic equity stake in Belgium-based VBI Machines & Services BV. This move is part of Vendekin's broader strategy to deepen its presence in the European market and strengthen its local capabilities.

The acquisition is aimed at enhancing Vendekin's local presence and capabilities in Europe. With this strategic investment, Vendekin aims to scale its connected unattended retail technology globally. The company currently deploys its technology across more than 6,000 vending and unattended retail machines in over 20 countries, processing more than 1 million transactions every week.

Vendekin's technology stack includes smart vending and automated retail machines, Myccro retrofit systems, digital payments, vNetra vending management and operations platform, and VendAIQ, an AI and data intelligence layer for unattended retail. The investment builds on a multi-year commercial relationship between Vendekin and VBI, combining Vendekin's technology and international product capabilities with VBI's local market knowledge, customer relationships, sales capabilities, and technical service infrastructure in the Benelux region.

According to Aroon Khatter, Founder & CEO of Vendekin Technologies, "Our ambition is not simply to sell more smart vending machines or deploy more retrofit systems. We are building the technology infrastructure that allows unattended retail networks, new and existing, to become connected, operationally efficient, and increasingly intelligent."

The investment and expanded strategic relationship will initially focus on strengthening the companies' activities across Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg while supporting selected opportunities across the broader European market. The move represents a deeper approach to international expansion for Vendekin, building long-term local capabilities in strategic markets rather than relying solely on cross-border equipment and technology sales.

Gunther Dehaes, CEO of VBI Machines & Services, stated, "Our relationship with Vendekin has grown substantially over the last several years, and this investment represents a natural next step for both companies. Customers are increasingly looking for more than standalone vending equipment. Technology, payments, software, service, and data are becoming central to how these networks are operated. Bringing Vendekin's technology together with VBI's local experience gives us a much stronger proposition for the market."

The combined technology and solutions from Vendekin and VBI will be showcased at VendEx Amsterdam on September 30, 2026, where operators, distributors, brands, and other industry participants will be able to engage with the companies' unattended retail proposition.