DC Advisory acts as exclusive financial advisor to SCHUFA on the acquisition of STRATECO
Background
- SCHUFA Holding AG, founded in 1927 and headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany, is a leading German credit bureau and information services provider. Its subsidiary, ClariLab, established in 2020, operates the KYCnow platform, which automates standardized KYC processes for approximately 700 customers, including 400 banks
- STRATECO, founded 25 years ago and headquartered in Bad Homburg, Germany, is a specialized regulatory and compliance consultancy with approximately 160 employees, generating around 90% of its revenue from compliance and regulatory services
- STRATECO brings deep regulatory and process expertise across regulatory advisory projects and managed-services mandates, predominantly in corporate and investment banking
- Well established among Tier-1 and Tier-2 financial institutions, STRATECO provides high-end case coverage in highly critical, complex KYC and AML matters
Process
- DC Advisory, led by Emanuel Bischofberger, was exclusively engaged by SCHUFA to provide buy-side advice for the acquisition of STRATECO
- By leveraging its extensive expertise in the Technology & Software sector, DC Advisory delivered comprehensive support throughout the process, including transaction structuring, strategic advice, valuation framing and value creation strategy
Outcome
- In June 2026, SCHUFA acquired 100% of STRATECO from its founders Jens Klemann and Laurence Dickler; STRATECO becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCHUFA and a sister company of ClariLab
- STRATECO and ClariLab will be brought together under the “SCHUFA Compliance Suite”, an integrated end-to-end offering uniting data, technology and operational services across the entire KYC value chain
- STRATECO complements ClariLab’s scalable, standardized retail KYC with corporate and investment banking depth and high-end case coverage, enabling SCHUFA to address higher-value market segments
- The acquisition builds KYC and compliance into SCHUFA’s second strategic pillar alongside credit information and responds to rising complexity from EU AML regulation (AMLR) and the new AMLA supervisory framework, positioning SCHUFA as an independent, technology-enabled partner for financial institutions in Germany and across Europe
- This transaction showcases DC Advisory's expertise in the Technology & Software sector and its experience advising clients in the information services sub-sector
”With STRATECO, we are gaining an ideal partner to further expand our compliance business. The acquisition lays the foundation for establishing compliance as SCHUFA’s second strategic pillar alongside credit information services. I am particularly pleased that, together with our advisor DC Advisory, we were able to develop a solution through a highly constructive process that is compelling from a strategic, operational, and financial perspective.”
”We are proud and thankful to have advised SCHUFA on a transaction of real strategic significance. This combination has the potential to shape the future of KYC and compliance, and we are excited to have contributed.”
- Technology & Software
- M&A Advisory
Disclaimer
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