Merger Notification - Announcement according to § 10 Cartel Act
Traviata B.V.; KKR & Co. Inc; Canada Pension Plan Investment Board; Axel Springer SE
BWB/Z-6871
On 03.03.2025 the Austrian Federal Competition Authority was notified of the following merger:
Planned purchase process
Traviata B.V. intends to acquire additional shares in certain entities active in the classifieds business (en- compassing The Stepstone Group and AVIV Group) currently held by Axel Springer SE, which will lead to Traviata holding approx. 90% in the Classifieds Business (increasing its current indirect stake by approx. 41.5 per-centage points). The concentration mainly concerns classified advertising.
N - PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES N 73.1 - Advertising
Deadline for bringing in an application pursuant to § 11(1) Cartel Act will end on 31.03.2025.
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 01.04.2025 .