Deutsche Börse Expands into Data Services with Kneip Acquisition

Deutsche Börse Group confirmed on Monday its decision to acquire Luxembourg-based fund data specialist, Kneip Communication S.A., which came as a move of the group’s expansion into the data services space.

Under the signed agreement between the two, Deutsche Börse will acquire a 100 percent stake in the data services company, but they did not disclose further transactional details. They are expecting to close the deal by the end of this month.

It came as the Deutsche Börse is considering the growth of its fund services and data. It is aiming to further simplify the data management process and services for asset managers and other market players after the deal.

“Through Kneip’s global reach and broad range of services, we will be able to further develop our product and service offerings and add value for funds clients at every stage of their business,” said Philippe Seyll, Deutsche Börse Group’s Head of Investment Fund Services.

“This is also a unique opportunity to create a leading European fund data champion based in Luxembourg.”

A Leading Data Services Platform

Kneip was established in 1993 and is one of the well-known names in the fund data management and regulatory reporting solutions. It primarily provides services to the asset management industry and manages investor disclosure and data publication for more than 10,000 funds in over 40 countries.

It is currently serving more than 30 percent of European Union-based fund ISINs.

After the closure of the deal, Kneip will continue to scale and expand its services under the new parent. Deutsche Börse even has plans to connect Kneip’s services with its fund services platforms.

Enrique Sacau, the CEO of Kenip, said: “Clearstream has a long history of driving innovation within the financial sector and shares our vision, values and our commitment to customer service. Deutsche Börse’s scale and resources will broaden our portfolio and boost our ability to deliver more value to clients faster.”