QONTO veut racheter ACASI à la barre : la nouvelle vague de distressed M&A arrive dans la French Tech
Qonto attempts to acquire distressed fintech company ACASI
Acquisition
Finnish Healthtech Startup Grundium Acquires Danish AI Pathology Software Provider Visiopharm
Grundium, a Finnish Healthtech startup, acquired Visiopharm, a Danish AI-driven precision pathology software provider, to build an end-to-end AI precision pathology platform.
Italian Film Producer Andrea Iervolino Makes Binding Offer to Acquire Sipario Movies
Andrea Iervolino presents a binding offer to acquire 100% of Sipario Movies S.p.A.’s assets
Dutch Financial Institution Van Lanschot Kempen Expands Sustainable Olive Oil Operations in Portugal
Dutch financial institution Van Lanschot Kempen acquired a 400-hectare olive grove in Portugal’s Alqueva region to expand its Rio de Azeite platform. The property features favorable climate conditions and reliable water resources from the Alqueva dam. The SDG Farmland fund now manages approximately 26,600 hectares globally with over 480 million euros in assets under management.
Polish E-Commerce Tech Giants cyber_Folks and Shoper to Merge and Create Comprehensive European Ecosystem
Polish e-commerce technology companies cyber_Folks and Shoper announce plans to merge to create one of Europe’s most comprehensive e-commerce ecosystems
Charlotte Tilbury Founder Threatens Contract Renegotiation as Puig Acquisition Talks Complicate
Charlotte Tilbury’s founder is threatening to renegotiate her contract with Puig, which owns 78.5% of the British makeup brand. The founder holds the remaining 21.5% stake and is invoking a change of control clause ahead of potential acquisition by Estée Lauder. In 2024, Puig valued the entire brand at approximately 4 billion euros when it purchased an additional 5.4% stake for 215 million euros. The founder’s remaining stake could be worth around 850 million euros at current valuations, which may deter Estée Lauder from proceeding with the acquisition of Puig.
EDP Renováveis to Exit Brazil Operations Through €683 Million Sale to Parent Company
EDP announced the integration of EDP Renováveis Brasil (1.8 GW installed capacity: 1.1 GW onshore wind and 0.7 GW solar utility scale) into its subsidiary EDP Brasil for approximately 4.1 billion reais (€700 million equity value, €1.5 billion enterprise value). This restructuring allows EDPR to concentrate on higher-growth markets in the US and Europe, increasing the weight of A-rated markets from 90% to over 95% of EBITDA. The transaction is expected to close by end of 2026.
Happy Horizon Acquires B&S Media Internetmarketing in Second Phase of Buy and Build Strategy
Happy Horizon announced the acquisition of B&S Media Internetmarketing, a digital marketing agency serving over 500 SMB clients in northern and eastern Netherlands. The acquisition marks the second phase of Happy Horizon’s buy and build strategy, with financial details undisclosed. The deal is supported by MG Partners, Happy Horizon’s external investor since 2020.
Mistral Acquires Austrian AI Startup Emmi AI to Strengthen Industrial Applications Portfolio
Paris-based Mistral has acquired Austrian startup Emmi AI, which develops foundational AI models trained with physics laws to simulate complex engineering processes. This is Mistral’s second acquisition in three months, following the February acquisition of French startup Koyeb. Emmi, created a year ago, raised a €15m seed round and has over 30 employees who will join Mistral. The acquisition demonstrates Mistral’s shift toward vertical specialization in industrial AI.
Commerzbank Board Rejects UniCredit’s €39 Billion Takeover Bid, Urges Shareholders to Decline
Commerzbank formally rejected UniCredit’s takeover bid valued at €39 billion, claiming it undervalues the bank by 5.6% and carries significant risks. The board recommended shareholders reject the stock exchange proposal, citing vague integration plans and unrealistic synergy estimates. Commerzbank is promoting its independent ‘Momentum 2030’ strategy instead.