Aquin Advises:
On The Acquisition Of:
Key Terms
| > | With effect from January 1, 2015, the Riverside Company acquired a majority stake in the Bike24 GmbH based in Dresden (Germany). |
| > | The founders of Bike24, Andrés Martin-Birner, Lars Witt and Falk Herrmann remain involved with a minority interest. The management of Bike24 will also stay centrally in their hands. |
| > | Aquin acted as the exclusive M&A buy-side advisor to the Riverside Company. |
Strategic Logic
| > | With the participation of the Riverside Company, Bike24 strengthens its internationalization competence in order to realize growth opportunities outside of Germany. At the same time, national presence is to be reinforced and internal structures further professionalized. |
| > | Through the acquisition of the stake in Bike24, the Riverside Company was able to bring their broad online-trading experience into another strongly positioned eRetailer with attractive growth prospects. |
Bike24 GmbH
| > | Bike24 GmbH, founded in 2005, belongs to the leaders in the German online market for bicycle components. |
| > | The company distributes high-quality bicycle components as well as bicycles, sporting electronics, outdoor-, swimming-, triathlon- and running equipment. In these categories, a total of more than five thousand items are offered online. |
| > | For 2014, the company expects a turnover of approximately 50 million euros and currently employs about 190 people. About two-thirds of sales are currently generated within Germany. |
The Riverside Company
| > | The Riverside Company is one of the largest and oldest private equity firms worldwide, specializing in investments in high-growth companies with an enterprise value of up to 200 million euros (250 million US$). |
| > | Since its founding in 1988, Riverside has managed over 370 transactions. The international investment portfolio currently includes more than 75 companies. |