Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12024 – VENDIS / VERLINVEST / KARAFUN GROUP) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2025-06-06
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, France, catering industry, culture industry, economic concentration, investment company, merger control, music, provision of services, retail trade








C_202503186EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/3186


6.6.2025






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.12024 – VENDIS / VERLINVEST / KARAFUN GROUP)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2025/3186)


1.   
On 27 May 2025, 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:






—


Vendis Capital IV BV/SRL (Belgium) (‘Vendis Capital IV’),










—


Verlinvest SA (Belgium),










—


Karafun Group SAS (France).




Vendis Capital IV and Verlinvest will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the whole of Karafun Group.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


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






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Vendis Capital IV is a European private equity fund,










—


Verlinvest is a Belgian investment company whose principal business is to conduct private and public equity investments in mid-to-large size companies based in Europe, the United-States and Asia, in the branded consumer goods industry including food & beverages, retail and hospitality, digital & e-commerce, lifestyle, media, health and education,










—


Karafun Group is a French company specialized in karaoke activities. It provides different digital solutions for business customers as well as consumers, such as website, software and applications to perform or provide karaoke sessions, as well as digital music training solutions to customers all over the world. Karafun Group also operates in the retail market with karaoke bars in France and in Belgium.






3.   
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.


4.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed concentration 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.12024 – VENDIS / VERLINVEST / KARAFUN GROUP
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/2025/3186/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)