Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.12530 – ATLAS HOLDINGS / KPS / JV) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2026-07-23
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Canada, China, Mexico, United States, economic concentration, electricity storage device, energy storage, investment company, joint venture, merger control, provision of services








C_202604073EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2026/4073


23.7.2026






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.12530 – ATLAS HOLDINGS / KPS / JV)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2026/4073)


1.   
On 14 July 2026, 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:






—


Atlas FRM LLC (‘Atlas Holdings’, United States),










—


KPS Capital Partners, LP (‘KPS’, United States).




Atlas Holdings and KPS will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of a newly formed joint venture through the contribution of certain existing portfolio businesses.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture.


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






—


Atlas Holdings is a private investment firm. Atlas Holdings and its affiliated funds own and operate a portfolio of companies active across a range of industrial and manufacturing sectors. Atlas Holdings is active in the United States in the battery and energy storage industry through the Edison Group, which includes the companies to be contributed to the newly formed joint venture: Stryten Energy LLC, Element Resources DE LLC, and Motrex LLC and their respective subsidiaries (all United States),










—


KPS is a private investment company making controlling equity investments in manufacturing and industrial companies across a diverse array of industries. KPS indirectly controls C&D Technologies Inc. (United States), a company active in the manufacturing and supply of battery and energy storage solutions and services for industrial and commercial applications, to be contributed to the newly formed joint venture.






3.   

The business activities of the newly formed joint venture will consist in the activities of the contributed Edison Group and C&D Technologies Inc., i.e. it will be active in the manufacture of battery and energy storage solutions and supply of relevant services. The activities of the joint venture are expected to be carried out principally in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and China with more limited activities in the rest of the world, including the EEA.



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 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.12530 – ATLAS HOLDINGS / KPS / JV
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/2026/4073/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)