Merger Notification - Announcement according to § 10 Cartel Act
HarbourVest; Access; Kline Hill; Greenpeak; Certania und Academia
BWB/Z-6529
On 18.03.2024 the Austrian Federal Competition Authority was notified of the following merger:
Planned purchase process
Each of HarbourVest Partners, LLC (USA), Access Capital Partners SA (France), and Kline Hill Partners LP (USA) intends to acquire, via funds managed by each of them, indirect non-controlling economic interests without voting rights in various investment vehicles, which are ultimately controlled by Greenpeak and which will hold indirect equity shareholdings of <25%, ≥25%, or ≥50% in Certania Holding GmbH (Germany) and/or Academia Holding GmbH (Germany).
Greenpeak Management GmbH currently has joint control over Certania (together with another investment company) and sole control over Academia and will retain joint control over Certania Holding GmbH (Germany) and sole control over Academia Holding GmbH (Germany) also after the intended transaction.
The transaction primarily concerns testing, inspection, and certification services.
M - REAL ESTATE ACTIVITIES
Deadline for bringing in an application pursuant to § 11(1) Cartel Act will end on 15.04.2024.
Entrepreneurs whose legal or economic interests are affected by the merger can bring in a written statement at the Federal Competition Authority or the Federal Cartel Prosecutor within 14 days from publication date.
Note: The intervening party has no right to a certain treatment of the statement and will not gain a party position.
Non-prohibition of the merger
The Federal Competition Authority and the Federal Cartel Prosecutor have not applied for examination of the merger by the Cartel Court. The standstill obligation (§ 17 (1) Cartel Act) ends with effect from 16.04.2024 .