POELLATH advises EQT on management participation in IPO SUSE

SUSE was founded in 1992. Today, with its 2000 employees the company is one of the market leaders in open source software. SUSE - the name is an abbreviation for Software and Systems Entwicklung (development) - primarily focuses on offering Linux operating systems, container management and edge software. These services can be found in automobile operating systems, for example. According to the company, more than half of the world’s 500 companies with the highest sales rely on SUSE’s Linux operating system.

EQT is initially only selling a small portion of its shares and intends to remain the largest shareholder. Prior to the IPO, SUSE was transformed from a Luxembourg-based group company under Swedish ownership into a Société Anonyme. On the one hand, this indicates the international nature of the IPO, and on the other hand, it shows why the large IPO is considered a success of the Frankfurt capital market.

POELLATH advised EQT and SUSE on the management participation with the following Munich team:

• Dr. Barbara Koch-Schulte (partner, lead, management participation/private equity, tax).
• Dr. Benedikt Hohaus (partner, management participation/private equity)
• Lorena Joana Echarri (senior associate, management participation/private equity)
• Dr. Michael de Toma (associate, management participation/private equity)

POELLATH previously advised EQT on the management participation in the course of its initial investment in SUSE.