The Croatian competition authority, AZTN, has granted approval for the merger involving Ardent XXV S.a.r.l from Luxembourg, through Solis Bidco d.o.o. in Zagreb, acquiring indirect control over Servus d.o.o. in Solin.

The merger was submitted on January 23, 2026, and AZTN published a public call for comments on January 28, 2026. The comment period ended on February 9, 2026, with no objections received.

This merger will impact the retail optical products market and the private healthcare services market in Croatia, where Servus d.o.o. operates under the names Optika Anda and Poliklinika Servus Anda.

The retail optical products market in Croatia was valued at approximately 228 million euros in 2024, with Servus holding a market share of 10-20%. Major competitors include Ghetaldus optika d.d. and Optotim d.o.o.

The private healthcare services market is estimated at around one billion euros, with the ophthalmology segment valued at 35-45 million euros. Servus Anda has a market share of up to 5%, while competitors include Svjetlost and Optical Express.

Since the applicant and its affiliates do not operate in the relevant markets, there is no horizontal overlap or vertical connection, and the merger does not alter market structure.

AZTN concluded that the merger does not create or strengthen a dominant position nor significantly impede competition, thus it is deemed permissible at the first level according to Croatian competition law.