Walder Wyss and NKF advisors in the deal between Sagard and Unit8
The financial investor Sagard NewGen has announced the acquisition of a minority stake in the Swiss Unit8. Founded in 2017 the Morges-based company is a leading data services provider with a mission to help its clients turn data into value with a mix of data science, analytics, and AI. With this investment, Sagard NewGen will help to fulfill a vision shared with Unit8 management to build a leading European data, analytics and AI consulting firm.
Unit8 operates at the intersection of technology and business to accompany its customers at every step of their data & AI journey by offering end to end portfolio of services. In 2022, Unit8 was recognised as the “Fastest Growing Firm” in Switzerland by the Financial Times.
The advisors
Walder Wyss has advised Sagard NewGen on the transaction. The team was led by partner Stefan Knobloch (corporate/m&a, pictured left) and included Dario Galli (senior associate, corporate/m&a), Maurus Winzap (partner, tax), and Janine Corti (counsel, tax), as well as corporate/m&a lawyers Christian Hagen (managing associate), Fabienne Anner (managing associate), Pascal Zysset (senior associate) and Marina Beeler (trainee lawyer). Other lawyers involved are partner Lukas Wyss (banking & finance) and partner David Vasella, Sylvia Anthamatten (managing associate), Anne-Sophie Morand (associate; all regulated markets, competition, technology & IP), Gustaf Heintz (associate, employment), Natascha Rizzi (associate, tax) as well as Michael Kündig (senior associate) and Helene Tasman (trainee lawyer) both corporate/m&a).
Niederer Kraft Frey advised the shareholders of Unit8 on all legal aspects of the transaction. The team was led by corporate/m&a partners Philip Spoerlé (pictured right) and Andrea Giger, working with senior associates Katalin Siklosi and Julia Tolstova (both corporate/m&a), partners Adrian Koller (finance) and Catherine Grun (commercial), counsel Janine Reudt-Demont (IP/IT), as well as senior associates Annina Fey (real estate) and Livia Keller (employment).
