Allen & Overy has advised EQT VI Limited (“EQT VI”), on the sale of Bureau van Dijk to Moody’s, a subsidiary of Moody’s Corporation, for an enterprise value of EUR 3 billion.

Bureau van Dijk, operating from its Amsterdam headquarters, captures, treats, standardizes, and distributes the world’s richest private company dataset, with coverage of more than 220 million companies.

EQT VI acquired Bureau van Dijk in September 2014 with a mission to further expand its leading market position and accelerate growth. The growth initiatives during EQT VI’s ownership have resulted in strong financial performance, with Bureau van Dijk generating revenues of EUR 258 million and EBITDA of EUR 132 million in 2016.

Leading on the deal from Amsterdam, A&O partner Karine Kodde said: “Following our involvement in EQT VI’s acquisition of Bureau van Dijk in 2014, it’s been exciting to advise on this transaction.  EQT VI’s mission back then was to accelerate Bureau van Dijk’s growth, which has been achieved, making it a strategic fit for Moody’s Analytics.”

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in the European Union and is expected to close late in the third quarter of 2017.

The A&O team was led by Corporate partners Karine Kodde from Amsterdam and Dirk Meeus from Brussels with support from Corporate counsel Danielle du Bois-Buné.

EQT is a leading alternative investments firm with approximately EUR 35 billion in raised capital across 22 funds.