Ratos AB: Bisnode acquires Global Group

Press release 17 March 2017

Ratos's subsidiary Bisnode is acquiring Global Group Dialog Solutions AG, a German leading marketing solutions provider. The acquisition is a key element of Bisnode's strategy to become the most wanted partner for data and analytics in Europe. In conjunction with the transaction, Ratos is contributing approximately SEK 54m for its holding.

Bisnode is strengthening its market position through the acquisition of Global Group. The company has approximately 60 employees and its head office in Idstein, Germany. Annual sales are approximately EUR 10.5m. Through its strong customer relationships, its marketing service portfolio offering and its proprietary consumer database, Global Group is one of the leading marketing providers for the German-speaking world.

"With its proprietary consumer database and sophisticated marketing solutions capabilities, Global Group represents a key building block in continuing to deliver on Bisnode's strategy to become the most wanted partner for data and analytics in Europe. Global Group will enable us to offer further services to our German-speaking markets, but its offering also contributes to Bisnode's product development initiatives for the next generation of marketing solutions," says Magnus Silfverberg, CEO of Bisnode.

The acquisition is expected to be completed at the end of April 2017.

Ratos became a principal owner of Bisnode in 2005. Today, Bisnode is one of the leading European providers of decision support, focusing on helping companies and organisations to make smart decisions.

For further information, please contact:
Helene Gustafsson, Head of IR and Press Ratos, +46 8 700 17 98
Magnus Silfverberg, CEO of Bisnode, +46 8 558 059 00
 
Financial calendar from Ratos:
Annual General Meeting                            6 April 2017
Interim report January-March 2017           8 May 2017
Interim report January-June 2017             17 August 2017
Interim report January-September 2017   14 November 2017
 
Ratos is an investment company that owns and develops unlisted medium-sized companies in the Nordic countries. Our goal as an active owner is to contribute to long-term and sustainable business development in the companies we invest in and to make value-generating transactions. Ratos's portfolio consists of 19 medium-sized Nordic companies and the largest segments in terms of sales are Consumer goods/Commerce, Construction and Energy. Ratos is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and has a total of approximately 15,000 employees.