Baker McKenzie advised Zurich-based SaaS (software-as-a-service) startup Avrios International AG ("Avrios") and its shareholders on the sale of all equity interests in Avrios to US investor Battery Ventures. In addition to Avrios, Battery Ventures is acquiring Vimcar, a Berlin-based startup that also specializes in fleet management, and will be merging the two companies with the goal of creating a large, pan-European player with an integrated, holistic fleet software and services offering.
Avrios, based in Zurich, and Vimcar, based in Berlin, provide complementary software solutions for forward-thinking, European businesses managing fleets of vehicles – as well as certain professionals – to monitor their fleet operations, track vehicles, manage costs, reduce emissions and comply with local regulations. Avrios counts more than 1,000 customers – with around 120,000 vehicles and 140,000 drivers – including DB Schenker, Bayerisches Rotes Kreuz, Kyocera, Flaschenpost, and Tee Geschwendner. The company was founded in 2015 by Andreas Brenner, Roger Jäggi and Robin Guldener and is backed by a diverse set of investors such as Lakestar, Notion Capital, Swisscom and Edenred.
Baker McKenzie Switzerland advised Avrios and its shareholders on all legal aspects of the sale.
Led by Partners Alexander Fischer (partner M&A, Zurich), Markus Wolf (partner Banking & Finance, Zurich) and Alexander Blaeser (partner M&A, Zurich), the Baker McKenzie team included the following:
- M&A: Olha Demianiuk (partner, Geneva), Jon Marcus Meese (partner, Munich), Matthias Trautmann (counsel), Debora Foglia (associate), Zarina Fueglister (associate), Andrea Puricelli (associate), Raphael Schneuwly (associate) all Zurich
- Banking & Finance: Sammy Guidoum (associate), Victoria Hotz (trainee lawyer) all Zurich
- Employment: Christoph Stutz (partner, Zurich)
- Intellectual Property: Nadine Charrière (associate, Zurich)
- Tax: Susanne Liebel-Kotz (senior associate, Zurich)