E+H Rechtsanwälte GmbH advised FUNKE Mediengruppe on the successful acquisition of a significant stake in High Five GmbH. High Five GmbH operates platforms such as “iamstudent.de” and “studiumfinden.com.” The transaction was executed in close cooperation with the Cologne office of the law firm Osborne Clarke.
FUNKE expands education portfolio and joins High Five GmbH
With this transaction, FUNKE Mediengruppe continues to expand in the education sector and acquires a significant stake in the operator of portals such as iamstudent.de, studiumfinden.com, and studiwohnen.com. The flagship product of High Five GmbH is the community “iamstudent,” which was founded in 2014 and has several hundred thousand registered students in the DACH region. As a marketing platform for the attractive target group of students, “iamstudent” has gained household names such as Samsung, Sky, Dominos Pizza, and Thalia as partners, which offer special student discounts. In addition to the further development of these platforms, the focus is on strategic integration with existing FUNKE platforms such as AZUBIYO and Absolventa. In the long term, the current investment is aimed at the full acquisition of High Five GmbH from Vienna.
E+H and Osborne Clarke – key players in the transaction
The E+H and Osborne Clarke teams provided legal advice and implemented the transaction. E+H performed the legal due diligence and advised on aspects of Austrian law, and Osborne Clark acted as lead counsel. The expertise and experience of both law firms in international M&A transactions, along with their history of working well in tandem, contributed significantly to the quick and smooth implementation of the transaction.
“We are delighted to have been able to support FUNKE Mediengruppe in this transaction in Austria to strengthen its existing education portals, optimize its offering for students and educational institutions, and provide high-quality services for students and young professionals,” says Clemens Lanschützer.
E+H Team
Clemens Lanschützer (Lead, Corporate + M&A), Judith Feldner (Antitrust), Natalie Hahn (Employment), Helmut Liebel (IP/IT), Wolfgang Köfer (Corporate + M&A), Alexander Moser (Corporate + M&A), Maximilian Kröpfl (IP/IT), Matthias Schmid (IP/IT) und Marcel Neuhauser (Antitrust).
Osborne Clarke Team
Björn Hürten (Lead, Corporate/M&A), Philipp Reeb, Efthimios Detsikas, Charlotte Mager, and Patrick Stadtbäumer (all Corporate/M&A), and Konstantin Ewald (IT).
Press contact
Radostina Reiter
Head of Marketing & Communication
T: +43 1 606 36 47
E: r.reiter@eh.at
E+H Rechtsanwälte GmbH
Vienna Twin Towers, Wienerbergstraße 11
1100 Vienna
