Binder Grösswang Advises on Investment in Europe’s Largest 0G network
The European investment fund Cube Infrastructure Fund II, a fund specialized in infrastructure investments, acquired a majority stake in the Swiss Heliot Group, the exclusive operator of the Sigfox 0G IoT LPWA network in Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein.
Binder Grösswang has been advising Cube the transaction in relation to Austria. Bird & Bird (Frankfurt) was acting as the lead counsel. The closing took place on September 11. As part of the combined transaction, Cube indirectly acquired a strategic majority of 86% of the shares in the companies of the Heliot Group. At the same time, Cube's investment in the Heliot Group enables the Swiss company to acquire Sigfox's 0G network in Germany. This means that the Heliot Group now combines the 0G networks of the four countries Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, making the Heliot Group the operator of the largest 0G network in Europe. Cube's goal is to accelerate the growth of this essential and exclusive IoT infrastructure in Europe and especially in the DACH region. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
The Binder Grösswang core team involved partner Gottfried Gassner and senior associate Mona Holzgruber (both corporate/M&A). They were supported by Johannes Barbist (partner regulatory), Regina Kröll (senior associate regulatory), Johannes Bammer (senior associate employment) and Nina Niederstrasser (associate employment). Bird & Bird was acting as lead counsel and has also coordinated the different jurisdictions; Bird&Bird’s teams have been advising on Germany, France, Slovakia and Czech Republic.
About Heliot
ased in Lausanne and Vienna, Heliot, founded in Switzerland in 2017, is the exclusive operator of the innovative Sigfox-IoT-LPWA network in Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. The Low-Power-Wide-Area (LPWA) radio standard uses a low-frequency radio technology for Internet-of-Things (IoT), which can transport messages over long distances with low radiation, at low cost and with low battery consumption. Thus, this innovative 0G technology offers a sustainable and cost-effective European alternative to the 5G mobile radio standard for certain applications.