Axel Springer invests in Switzerland

 The Handelszeitung publishing group, which is part of the Axel Springer Group, is taking over Amiado with immediate effect. The company operates Students.ch, the largest Swiss online portal for students, the leading student portal Friendz.ch, the international offshoots Students.de and Students.at and the Web 2.0 community Amiado.com. The current Managing Director Adrian Bührer will continue to lead the company as CEO. Technical Director Frank Renold will also remain with Amiado in an unchanged role. Ralph Büchi, Managing Director of the Handelszeitung and Jean Frey publishing groups, will take over as Chairman of the newly appointed Board of Directors. Adrian Bührer expressed his satisfaction with the transaction in a press release. He believes that in Axel Springer, Amiado has found a strong partner that will underpin its market leadership in Switzerland in the long term and support its international expansion. Around 80,000 people visit Students.ch every month and with 70,000 registered members, the site is the largest online portal for students in Switzerland. It offers a wide range of services. These include advice on studying, a housing market, job offers and tips on where to go.
The parties have agreed not to disclose the terms of the acquisition.