DLA Piper assists the owners of Auction Group A/S in the sale of the controlling interest to AutoScout24

DLA Piper has, together with FIH Partners, Deloitte, and SKOV Advokater, assisted the owners of Auction Group A/S, which operates the digital trading platform AUTOproff, in selling the controlling interest to Europe’s largest car trading platform, AutoScout24, which is controlled by the private equity fund Hellman & Friedman.

Auction Group A/S operates the trading platform AUTOproff, which is a digital B2B platform enabling car dealers to buy and sell vehicles through online auctions in a safe and easy way.

AUTOproff is the leading digital B2B platform in Denmark, and the combination with AutoScout24 will further accelerate AUTOproff’s European expansion.

AUTOproff has experienced rapid growth since its formation in 2013 and was awarded EY Entrepreneur-of-the-Year, in the category ’Growth’, in 2019. Despite a tight market affected by coronavirus shutdowns and the chip crisis, AUTOproff grew by 30% in 2021 and realised a digital revenue of DKK 100m and EBITDA of 36m.

A team made up of Karsten Pedersen, Kenni Svanholm Jensen, Michael Klöcker, Rasmus Ørsted Petersen, Martin Kruhl, Patrick Johansen, Martin Hjørlund Nielsen, Rasmus Boserup, and Annemette Ellermann assisted the owners of Auction Group A/S.