BERLIN, GERMANY - AUTODOC SE, Europe's leading online retailer of automotive spare parts and accessories, announced the successful completion of the share purchase from funds managed by Apollo Global Management, effectively returning the company to full ownership by its founders. The transaction, funded by a EUR 530 million Term Loan B placed in July 2026, concludes a partnership that began in April 2024 when Apollo acquired a minority stake at an equity valuation of EUR 2.3 billion.
The collaboration was designed to be time-limited and purpose-driven: Apollo provided strategic guidance to help AUTODOC prepare for institutional capital markets and a potential future IPO. These objectives were achieved, and with the transaction closed, the two Apollo representatives on AUTODOC's Supervisory Board have stepped down. The board now consists of the three founders and three independent members.
"We have grown AUTODOC from a bootstrapped start-up into Europe’s leading automotive parts retailer by making car repair accessible to everyone. Regaining full ownership is a proud and deeply meaningful moment for us - one that reaffirms our long-term commitment to the company’s future," said founders Alexej Erdle, Max Wegner, and Vitalij Kungel in a joint statement. "We are sincerely grateful to the Apollo team for their trust, invaluable expertise and close partnership over the past two years. Their support has been instrumental in our development, leaving AUTODOC stronger, more robust and well-positioned for the years ahead."
CEO Dmitri Zadorojnii highlighted the broader impact of the partnership: "Apollo's contribution went well beyond capital. Together, we have significantly sharpened our internal processes, strengthened our corporate governance and built a stronger, more scalable platform. We now move forward as a highly focused market leader, fully prepared to leverage our independent position and deliver exceptional value to our B2C and B2B customers across Europe. AUTODOC doesn’t change its strategic direction and is ready to capture multiple market opportunities that we clearly see in front of us."
CFO Lennart Schmidt added, "Apollo brought world-class capital markets expertise to AUTODOC at a crucial time. Transforming our financial reporting, professionalising our processes, building capital market readiness and debuting on the institutional credit markets have facilitated a seamless transition to our new capital structure. AUTODOC tapping the institutional debt markets for the first time marks another important step in further professionalising the company and making us ready for future endeavours, including a potential IPO when the timing is right."
Jeremy Honeth, Partner at Apollo's Hybrid Value franchise, expressed pride in the partnership: "It has been a privilege to partner with AUTODOC's founders and management team during this transformative period. AUTODOC has cemented its position as Europe’s leading digital platform for automotive parts and has demonstrated clear readiness for the capital markets. We are proud to have supported the company in reaching this point and wish the entire team every success as they enter their next chapter of growth."
Looking ahead, AUTODOC remains committed to its ambition of becoming Europe's leading technology ecosystem for the automotive aftermarket, leveraging AI-driven capabilities and data-informed decision-making. A future IPO remains on the agenda, subject to market conditions. With the founders back at the helm, the company is poised to continue its growth trajectory as a leaner, more focused entity.
For more information about AUTODOC, visit autodoc.group. For more on Apollo, see apollo.com.
