• by Ray Schultz , March 19, 2025

German media empire Axel Springer, is seeking to divest Awin, its affiliate marketing unit. 

The company, which last year split off its classified ad business, has invited investment banks to apply for advisory roles. 

The price could hit EUR 400 million, the equivalent of $436 million, Reuters reports. 

Awin serves more than one million publishers and 30,000 advertisers and employs 1,400 people, according to Private Equity insights.

Last year, Axel Springer announced it was splitting off its classifieds ads business and would be a privately owned media company for the first time since its IPO in 1985. KKK and CPP, outside investors, will take over the classified business.  

Axel Springer owns Bild, Business Insider, Politico, Welt, Morning Brew, Dyn Media, EMarketer and the joint venture Ringier Axel Springer Poland. Recently, it assumed full ownership of Morning Brew after previously being the majority investor.