Prosus' logo is pictured on a smartphone in this illustration taken, December 4, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
LONDON (Reuters) -Dutch technology investment group Prosus has expressed early-stage interest in potentially bidding for Mobile.de as the owners prepare to sell shares in the German online auto marketplace group, according to three people familiar with the matter.
While shareholders Permira and Blackstone are leaning towards an initial public offering of Mobile.de, Germany's largest auto marketplace is drawing interest from companies including Prosus, which could consider a bid through its classified unit OLX, the people said.
The private equity funds hired JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs earlier this year to prepare Mobile.de for an IPO that could be valued as much as 10 billion euros ($11.66 billion)in a stock market debut set for next year, the people said.
No sale process has started and Prosus, which also owns European food delivery group Just Eat, is not currently in talks with the owners and may ultimately decide against making a bid, the sources said.
Mobile.de has also attracted interest from other private equity firms including EQT, two of the people added.Cinven and Apax have also shown interest, one of the people said.
The three sources, speaking on condition of anonymity as the matter was private, cautioned there is no certainty a deal will materialise.
Spokespeople for Prosus, EQT, Cinven, Apax, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs declined to comment. Permira and Blackstone declined to comment. Adevinta, which owns Mobile.de, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Norway's Adevinta, Mobile.de's parent company, was acquired by Permira and Blackstone in 2023 forabout 141 billion Norwegian crowns.
The owners have since been pursuing a breakupof the company, including a sale of its Spanish classifieds business to EQT and its Austrian unit Willhaben to investor Sprints and Styria Media Group.
Prosus is the investment arm of South African group Naspers. Earlier this monthit bought French motors classified platform La Centrale for 1.1 billion euros as part of its entrance into the European used-car marketplace sector. The Financial Times previously reported EQT's interest in Mobile.de.
($1 = 0.8575 euros)
(Reporting by Amy-Jo Crowley and Andres Gonzalez in London, Editing by Louise Heavens)
