CMS avised Alpora shareholders on the sale of a majority stake to Serafin

Alpora, a Swiss investment analytics company, has sold a majority stake to German-based Serafin Asset Management. Alpora, which was founded in 2013, is active in the sale of innovation analysis-based investment models to asset managers in Switzerland, Germany and the UK. Based on these investment models, clients set up equity funds that have historically been able to generate a risk-adjusted excess return on equity investments.  

The Serafin Group intends to enter a new segment with Serafin Asset Management and establish a digital asset management business. It is planned to enter the market with services for third-party customers in the second quarter of 2022 after obtaining the BaFin license. In addition to developing and selling its own investment solutions, the aim is to grow by acquiring specialized asset managers. The acquisition of a majority stake in the Swiss-based Alpora is the first step in this direction. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price of the transaction. 

The advisors

A team of CMS Switzerland provided comprehensive advice to the shareholders of Alpora on all legal aspects of the transaction. The CMS team was led by Stefan Brunnschweiler (managing partner, global co-head of the CMS corporate/m&a group Zurich, pictured) comprised of Samuel Felix Gang (associate, corporate/m&a), Florian Jung  (associate, m&a),  Pascal Stocker (associate, m&a), Andrea Relly (senior associate, m&a), Mark Cagienard (partner, tax), Christian Gersbach (partner, employment), Matthias Kuert (senior associate, capital markets), Tarik Salkim (corporate, m&a). 

Duff & Phelps, A Kroll Business, served as the exclusive financial advisor to the shareholders of Alpora in connection with the transaction.