DLA Piper advises Francotyp-Postalia on acquisition of Azolver

DLA Piper has advised Francotyp-Postalia Holding AG (FP) on the acquisition of all shares in the operating companies of Azolver Holding GmbH (Azolver). Azolver focuses on mailing hardware (franking machines) and also offers software solutions for asset tracking and parcel shipping.

With this acquisition, FP expands its position in the Mailing, Shipping & Office Solutions market in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland and Italy. Besides consolidating the market for mailing solutions, Azolver’s customers will now have the opportunity to benefit from FP’s advanced product portfolio in Mailing, Shipping & Office Solutions as well as from FP’s Digital Business Solutions. At the same time, Azolver’s SaaS-based solutions in asset tracking will enhance FP’s offering in its Digital Business Solutions area. Part of the acquisition is also a fully integrated technology and service center in Estonia, providing services across finance, customer support, IT and software development.

The stock-listed Francotyp-Postalia Holding AG, headquartered in Berlin, is the holding company of the globally operating FP Group. FP is an expert in solutions that make office and work life easier and more efficient with the business areas Digital Business Solutions, Mailing, Shipping & Office Solutions and Mail Services. FP is present in ten countries by its own subsidiaries and in 40 other countries via a dealer network.

The DLA Piper team was led by partner Dr Mathias Schulze Steinen and senior associate Kristin Vogt-Schories (both Corporate/M&A, Frankfurt). In addition, partners Dr Justus Herrlinger (Antitrust, Hamburg), Dr Roland Maaß (Capital Markets), Andreas Füchsel (Private Equity/M&A), Mike Danielewsky (Restructuring), Dr Konrad Rohde, counsel Dr Raimund Behnes (all Frankfurt), senior associate Raffaella Rusin (all Tax, Munich), associates Dr Jonas Kranz (Antitrust, Hamburg), Ji-Min Marina Lee (Restructuring) and foreign associate Viola Lee (Corporate/M&A, both Frankfurt) advised on the acquisition. The DLA Piper offices in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Italy and Belgium were also involved.

Dr Kai Fliegner (Head of Legal) led the acquisition in-house at FP.