DLA Piper has advised TOMRA Systems ASA (TOMRA) on a majority investment in c-trace GmbH (c-trace) and its subsidiaries in Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and Poland.

The acquisition is in line with TOMRA’s strategy of developing adjacent business building, also through mergers and strategic acquisitions. The addition of c-trace to the TOMRA group supports TOMRA’s goal of driving additional profitable growth, diversifying revenue streams and broadening its market impact. TOMRA has initially acquired 80% of the shares in c-trace, with an option to also acquire the remaining 20% after two years.

TOMRA, headquartered in Norway, was founded in 1972 and specialises in transforming the use and reuse of resources. With advanced sorting and collection technology, they support the transition to a circular economy, optimise resource use and minimise waste in the food, recycling and mining industries. TOMRA has 5,400 employees globally and is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.

c-trace, founded in 2005, offers advanced solutions that combine software and hardware modules to digitise and improve the process for waste management operations. The company has a leading position in Germany and is focusing heavily on AI driven capabilities. With around 120 employees, c-trace generated a revenue of EUR21 million in the last twelve months.

The DLA Piper team was co-led by partner Dr Benjamin Parameswaran and counsel Sophie von Mandelsloh, with senior associate Robert Fischer-Sonnberg and associate Dr Tom Lasar (all Corporate/M&A, Hamburg) in the core team.

In Germany, the team was also supported by partners Dr Burkhard Führmeyer (IP, Frankfurt), Dr Nico Brunotte (IT), Dr Henriette Norda (Employment; both Hamburg), Semin O (Antitrust), counsel Eike Bodo Matthes (IP; both Frankfurt), Dr Enno Ahlenstiel (Antitrust), Dr Thilo Streit (Regulatory; both Cologne), senior associates Rune Jelte Weltz (Corporate/M&A), Dr Betina Fischer (Commercial), David Sanchio Schele (Data Protection; all Hamburg), Marisa Machacek (IP, Frankfurt) and associates Tina Popp (Real Estate, Frankfurt), Nicolas Stilwell (Real Estate), Svenja Mayer, Janina Strunk (both Regulatory; all Cologne) and Franziska Golombek (Employment, Hamburg).

Partners Erik Brändt Öfverholm (Antitrust) and Anna Berntorp from DLA Piper’s Stockholm office and senior associate Kamila Możdżeń (both Corporate/M&A) from the Warsaw office provided additional support. In the UK, senior associate Laura Allsop (Corporate/M&A, Leeds), and in the Netherlands, legal director Martijn van Wanroij (Regulatory), senior associate Flip Kaptein and associate Jan van Schooten (both Corporate/M&A; all Amsterdam) were involved.

In-house at TOMRA, the legal team was led by Dr Tanja Grotowsky (General Counsel TOMRA Food and Recycling) and the M&A team by Sebastian Ihlebæk (VP, Head of M&A).