POELLATH advises digital agencies on merger with MAI Group and sale of majority stake to AUCTUS Capital

For this purpose, the agencies crsd, Digitalberatung, Hanse CRM, Kamano, Klaro Media, Leonex and mediaworx have joined forces. Together they form a group with 300 employees at six locations in Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Paderborn and Vienna. The MAI Group’s services range from strategy and campaign conception to creation and branding, software development and technology implementation. The agency group is headed by Oliver Czok and Klaus-Stephan Wendt, who founded the advertising agency deepblue networks in Hamburg back in 2001 and later sold it to Scholz & Friends.

The MAI Group, based in Hamburg, is a leading holding company for modern digital and data services in German-speaking countries, bringing together the best digital and data service providers to help companies optimize costs and increase revenues by winning new customers and fostering optimal customer loyalty.

AUCTUS Capital Partners AG is an independent investment company founded by entrepreneurs with a fund capital of over EUR 800 million, which currently manages 47 platform investments in various business sectors.

POELLATH advised the owners of the digital agencies in connection with the sale and re-investment, as well as the merger into a holding company, with the following team:

• Christian Tönies (partner, lead, M&A/VC, Berlin/Munich)
• Dr. Nico Fischer (partner, tax, Munich)
• Daniel Wiedmann (partner, antitrust, Frankfurt)
• Dr. Sebastian Gerlinger (counsel, M&A/VC, Berlin/Munich)
• Markus Döllner (senior associate, M&A/VC, Munich)
• Christine Funk (senior associate, IP/IT, Frankfurt)

Peter Memminger of BUB MEMMINGER & PARTNER comprehensively advised the AUCTUS Group with a team from various departments and was the lead in structuring the transaction