Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11464 – SWISS LIFE / DIGITALBRIDGE / INFRABRIDGE INVESTOR NILE) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2024-02-15
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: contract, economic concentration, financial services, insurance company, investment company, lease, life assurance, merger control, pension scheme, transmission network








C_202401605EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2024/1605


15.2.2024






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11464 – SWISS LIFE / DIGITALBRIDGE / INFRABRIDGE INVESTOR NILE)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2024/1605)


1.   
On 6 February 2024, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


Swiss Life Holding AG (‘Swiss Life’, Switzerland),










—


DigitalBridge Group, Inc. (‘DigitalBridge’, United States),










—


InfraBridge Investors Nile S.à r.l (‘InfraBridge’, Luxembourg), which is currently solely controlled by DigitalBridge.




Swiss Life and DigitalBridge will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of InfraBridge.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






—


Swiss Life is a provider of comprehensive life, pensions and financial solutions. Under its umbrella brand, it offers individuals and corporations comprehensive and individual advice plus a broad range of own and partner products. Swiss Life is active in the life insurance sector and the investment and asset management segment,










—


DigitalBridge is a dedicated, global-scale digital infrastructure investment firm that invests, directly and through its managed funds and their portfolio companies in data centres, cell towers, fiber networks, small cells and edge infrastructure.






3.   

InfraBridge manages a portfolio of leasehold contract buy-outs. It acquires the right to receive rental income from land leased by telecommunication firms that erect and operate telecommunication infrastructure on these properties. To a lesser extent, IfraBridge also owns land which it rents to telecommunication firms.



4.   
On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.
Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified treatment for certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


5.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.11464 – SWISS LIFE / DIGITALBRIDGE / INFRABRIDGE INVESTOR NILE
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu
Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







(1)  
            OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  
            OJ C 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/1605/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)