CMS advises IT group Bechtle on acquisition of CAD/CAM software specialist DPS Software

Stuttgart – Bechtle AG has acquired DPS Software GmbH as well as 14 sales offices in Germany, three locations in Austria and two in Switzerland. DPS has its headquarters in Leinfelden-Echterdingen. Two current managing directors who are leaving the company as scheduled will retain control of several DPS Software subsidiaries in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic and of the ERP system RPS, as part of two carve-out transactions that are being carried out in parallel. The acquisition is currently awaiting approval from the competition authorities. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.

A CMS team headed by lead partner Dr Tobias Schneider advised Bechtle AG on all legal aspects of the deal. CMS regularly advises Bechtle.

Neckarsulm-based Bechtle AG operates 75 IT system integrator businesses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. With 24 e-commerce companies in 14 countries, the group is one of Europe’s leading IT resellers. Established in 1983, Bechtle currently has some 11,500 employees and is listed on the MDAX and TecDAX. The company’s sales are expected to be around EUR 5.37 billion in 2019. By acquiring DPS Software, Bechtle is expanding its 3D CAD expertise in the product development solutions space. The group already has a market presence in this field in Germany via specialists SolidLine, Solidpro, Coffee, HCV Data and C-CAM, in Austria through planetsoftware and in Switzerland with Solid Solutions. The Bechtle Group has been a SOLIDWORKS partner for ten years and holds the software manufacturer’s highest certification status.

DPS Software GmbH is based in Leinfelden-Echterdingen. It was founded in 1997 and specialises in 3D CAD software from Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS. DPS is a certified SOLIDWORKS and SolidCAM partner and covers the manufacturers’ entire product range. The firm currently has 213 employees and generated sales of just under EUR 50 million in the 2019 financial year. DPS Software will continue to operate as a SOLIDWORKS system integrator under its existing company name.

CMS Germany

Dr Tobias Schneider, Lead Partner
Martina Meier-Grom, Senior Associate, both Corporate/M&A
Dr Martin Mohr, Counsel, Transaction Tax
Dr Harald Kahlenberg, Partner
Dr Anne Gabius, Associate, both Competition

CMS Austria

Dr Bernt Elsner, Partner, Competition

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