The Bundeskartellamt, Germany's competition authority, has cleared SAP SE's planned acquisition of LeanIX GmbH in a first-phase merger control review. The authority's investigation determined that the merger is not expected to significantly impede effective competition in the relevant markets.

Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt, stated that SAP has not previously offered its own software solutions in the Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) sector and that the acquisition will allow SAP to expand its product portfolio. The authority's examination focused on whether the new product bundle would enable SAP to hinder competition, but no sufficient evidence was found to suggest this would occur.

SAP is a leading provider of Enterprise Application Software, particularly known for its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions. LeanIX, on the other hand, specializes in B2B software solutions for EAM, providing companies with tools to visualize and manage their IT landscapes. SAP plans to integrate LeanIX’s software into its offerings, creating a comprehensive solution suite for digital transformation.

The Bundeskartellamt specifically assessed whether the combination of LeanIX and SAP products could restrict competition in the EAM market. The authority concluded that the market remains competitive, with numerous providers and significant growth potential. SAP's customers will continue to have access to a variety of EAM products, and the merger is not expected to allow SAP to eliminate a substantial number of competitors through bundling.

Additionally, the investigation looked into SAP's potential access to data regarding LeanIX's customers' IT landscapes. However, it was determined that the merger is unlikely to create significant barriers to competition in the ERP market.