AlphaTheta / Serato merger inquiry

The CMA is investigating the anticipated acquisition by AlphaTheta Corporation of Serato Audio Research Limited

Statutory timetable

Phase 1 Action
1 May 2024 Deadline for phase 1 decision (*)
4 March 2024 Launch of merger inquiry
23 January to 6 February 2024 Invitation to comment

(*) This date is the current statutory deadline by when the decision will be announced. If any change occurs, the information is refreshed as soon as practicable. However, the CMA cannot guarantee that the decision will be announced on or before this current deadline, as the deadline of a given case may change during the merger assessment process due to different reasons.

Launch of merger inquiry

4 March 2024: The CMA announced the launch of its merger inquiry by notice to the parties.

Invitation to comment: closed on 6 February 2024

23 January 2024: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is considering whether it is or may be the case that this transaction, if carried into effect, will result in the creation of a relevant merger situation under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 and, if so, whether the creation of that situation may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services.

The CMA is issuing this preliminary ‘invitation to comment’ to allow interested parties to submit to the CMA any initial views on the impact that the transaction could have on competition in the UK. The CMA has not yet launched its formal investigation into this transaction. This invitation to comment is the first part of the CMA’s information-gathering process.

To assist it with this assessment, the CMA invites comments on the merger from any interested party.

Written representations about any competition issues should be provided by the deadline set out above.

Contact

Please send written representations about any competition or public interest to: alphatheta.serato@cma.gov.uk

Your name and contact details are your personal data. In collecting, receiving, storing, accessing and using your personal data, the CMA, as controller, is processing your personal data. The CMA processes personal data in accordance with data protection law. The CMA is processing your personal data so that it can contact you again, should it need further help or information from you, in order to carry out its merger work under Part 3 of the Enterprise Act 2002. For more information about how the CMA processes personal data and your rights relating to that data, please see our Privacy Notice

Published 23 January 2024
Last updated 4 March 2024 + show all updates
  1. Launch of investigation.

  2. Invitation to comment closed.

  3. First published.