International law firm Simmons & Simmons has advised Waterland Private Equity on the acquisition of a majority stake in YIELDKIT GmbH. Waterland is an independent private equity investment group that specialises in supporting companies and entrepreneurs in reaching their growth potential. The company has invested in over 650 companies where it acts as an active shareholder in driving success.
YIELDKIT is a software platform offering digital publishers and advertisers a direct and easy-to-use solution for implementing performance marketing strategies and achieving higher sales figures and driving traffic. YIELDKIT leads the market for in-text advertising, content monetisation and performance marketing.
As part of its investment, Waterland plans to accelerate YIELDKIT's growth and develop the software platform into a market leader through a buy-&-build strategy. Company founder Oliver Krone, CEO Daniel Neuhaus and tech entrepreneur Lars Hinrichs will continue to hold an equity stake in YIELDKIT. The transaction is still subject to the approval of the antitrust authorities.
Waterland was advised by a multidisciplinary team from Simmons, with Düsseldorf corporate/M&A and private equity partner Dr Christian Bornhorst acting as lead partner. The advisory focused particularly on due diligence work, the structuring of the transaction and the conduct of negotiations.
Commenting on the deal, lead partner Dr Christian Bornhorst said: “Working with Waterland presented a clear opportunity to harness Simmons’ multi-disciplinary expertise, calling on ICT, finance, M&A and data knowledge to provide our client with the most accurate and timely advice. Waterland is now well placed to work with YIELDKIT to continue to grow the company’s market presence across Germany and beyond.”