CMS supports the IT group Bechtle in its acquisition of the Austrian software developer dataformers

Bechtle AG has acquired dataformers GmbH, a software developer based in Linz. The IT Group has thus acquired the hundredth company in its history. With this acquisition, Bechtle further expands its IT system house business in Austria and adds another software specialist to its existing operations. The transaction is still subject to approval by the antitrust authorities. The parties involved have agreed not to disclose the details.

An international CMS team led by partner Dr Tobias Schneider provided legal advice to Bechtle AG on the transaction. The law firm regularly assists Bechtle. In Austria, the transaction was overseen by CMS Partner Johannes Trenkwalder (Lead, Corporate/M&A), Dieter Zandler (Partner, Antitrust) and Vanessa Horaceck (Associate, Antitrust).

Bechtle AG, headquartered in Neckarsulm, Germany, operates 75 IT system houses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and is one of the leading IT companies in Europe with 24 e-commerce companies in 14 countries. Founded in 1983, the group currently employs over 12,000 people. Bechtle is listed on the MDAX and TecDAX. In 2019, the company’s turnover was approximately EUR 5.37 billion.

dataformers GmbH is a specialist in software development and IoT solutions; its headquarters are in Linz, with further locations in Vienna and Eisenstadt. Founded in 2009, the company currently employs 55 people, including 35 software developers. The company’s turnover in 2019 was around EUR 5.5 million euros.