SevenVentures acquires a majority stake in Billiger-mietwagen.de

Unterföhring, 11 April 2013. SevenVentures, venture subsidiary of ProSiebenSat.1 Group, has announced the extension of its digital portfolio by acquiring a majority stake in SilverTours GmbH, operator of billiger-mietwagen.de, the biggest web portal for rental car rate comparisons in Germany. Christian Mahnke, who founded the company headquartered in Freiburg und Cologne in 2003, will continue to serve as CEO. The acquisition is pending, subject to approval by the German Federal Cartel Office. Corporate Finance Partners – now part of ACXIT Capital Partners – acted as exclusive M&A adviser to the shareholders of SilverTours GmbH, operator of billiger-mietwagen.de.

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Users of the portal can compare rental car rates worldwide and directly book the best rates by using an integrated booking option. ProSiebenSat.1’s outstanding TV and online reach as well as its marketing and branding power will enable billiger-mietwagen.de to accelerate its growth significantly.

“The website billiger-mietwagen.de is another important component of our travel portfolio. This acquisition will enable us to offer our users full-service travel packages, including flights, accommodation and rental cars, along with all relevant weather and climate information for vacationers.”

– Christian Wegner, Executive New Media & Diversification of ProSiebenSat.1 Group

“Most German travelers are not aware yet of the advantages in terms of service, security and price that billiger-mietwagen.de offers. We believe that by leveraging the extensive media reach that ProSiebenSat.1 provides, we can significantly grow our business and expand our market share.”

– Christian Mahnke, CEO of billiger-mietwagen.de

ProSiebenSat.1 Media Group already owns a traditional travel agency, Reise.com, which bundles the offers of various tour operators. Tropo is the Group’s dynamic travel organizer, which offers affordable, quality all-inclusive and last-minute trips. According to AGOF internet facts VII/2012, the Group’s own weather portal wetter.com is the biggest in Germany. Furthermore, ProSiebenSat.1 Group holds an equity interest in HolidayInsider, the leading vacation booking portal in German-speaking regions.

About Seven Ventures

SevenVentures is the venture arm of the ProSiebenSat.1 Group, one of the leading media companies in Europe and Germany’s largest television network. SevenVentures essentially pools companies and start-ups that can grow with the support of ProSiebenSat.1, as well as majority stakes in strategically important companies. SevenVentures is able to draw on an in-house eco-system in the form of the creative agency SugarRay and the digital agency Booming, in addition to the use of TV advertising time, which enables integrated campaigns to be created for growth companies that revolve around TV as the leading medium. With numerous investments in a variety of market segments, SevenVentures is the leading media investor in Germany. (www.sevenventures.de)

About SilverTours GmbH

SilverTours GmbH operates www.billiger-mietwagen.de, the largest rental car rate comparison service in Germany. Users can save up to 50 percent on rental rates. They also benefit from the quick and easy comparison of insurance plans and other services. In addition, customers can speak directly with a travel expert by calling the company’s free helpline. Rental car reservations may be cancelled without incurring a fee up to 24 hours before rental. In 2013, the magazine “FOCUS-MONEY” declared the web portal as “Best Rental Car Broker” for the fourth year in a row. In 2012, the magazine “Guter Rat” praised the tips and information provided by billiger-mietwagen.de on contract details and additional fees as “exemplary” and found the portal to be the “Test Winner” in its category. In 2013, TÜV SÜD awarded the company the “s@fer-shopping” certificate for the 9th year in a row, in recognition of its very high quality and security. More than 140,000 rental car users assign billiger-mietwagen.de an average score of 4.5 out of 5 stars. (www.billiger-mietwagen.de)

About ACXIT

ACXIT Capital Partners is a leading independent corporate finance and investment advisory firm for mid-market clients and entrepreneurs in Europe and beyond. Since 1998, ACXIT offers its clients comprehensive corporate finance advisory services including M&A and capital markets advisory as well as restructuring, equity/debt and strategic advisory. As an independent, privately owned firm we maintain offices and representations in Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Leipzig, Zurich, Hong Kong and New York, as well as strong alliances in France, China and India. (www.acxit.com)

 

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