HS to Acquire GlobalSpec

June 12, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

IHS is to acquire GlobalSpec, a specialised vertical search, product information and digital media company serving the engineering, manufacturing and related scientific and technical market segments, from Warburg Pincus LLC. The $135 million acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.

“Acquisitions continue to be a key element in the strategic development of the IHS business and a driver of the company’s long-term growth. While the purchase price for GlobalSpec represents a strategic double-digit EBITDA multiple, it will enable a dramatic transformation of our product design portfolio representing approximately 15 percent of our revenue,” said IHS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jerre Stead. “GlobalSpec, combined with our global scale and industry expertise, will create an even greater destination for trusted product information and technical insight for GlobalSpec’s global community of more than seven million engineers. We will market our solutions to a large segment of engineers around the world who currently do not use IHS services.”

Founded in 1996, GlobalSpec provides its registered users with a domain-specific search engine for more than 3,500 current product, service and technology vertical categories, a vibrant community of engineers helping other engineers solve important problems, and more than 70 product and industry e-newsletters that help engineers and related professionals perform their key job tasks with the highest levels of accuracy and productivity.

“The acquisition of GlobalSpec is a significant development that presents a unique opportunity for IHS to transform our existing engineering specifications and standards business to long-term double-digit growth,” added IHS President and Chief Operating Officer Scott Key. “We will leverage IHS global scale in sales and market presence to create large strategic synergies and revenues as we elevate our Product Design business to accretive growth rates and margins.”

The company is a destination for engineers as well as suppliers of products and services that support a worldwide engineering audience. It has a global user base of more than seven million registered users – a user community that grew by 500,000 new registrants during 2011. GlobalSpec is headquartered in East Greenbush, N.Y. and employs approximately 230 people.

USA, Englewood, CO & East Greenbush, N.Y

Related articles:

Posted in Content Media, Market Data & Information, Publishers, ~North America. Leave a Comment »

United Online acquires schoolFeed

June 11, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

United Online, owner of Memory Lane Inc, has acquired schoolFeed, a online high school network, to help develop its Classmates business in the USA and its StayFriends brand internationally. schoolFeed has over 19 million members and has been growing by approximately 100,000 new registrations per day on average over the past three months. schoolFeed’s CEO and co-founder Lance Tokuda and team members joined Memory Lane upon the closing.

schoolFeed is a free app that enables users to find and connect with their high school friends and acquaintances, and offers an online yearbook and class directory with news feed, interest groups, online games and virtual currency. Currently, users join schoolFeed through its Facebook app which can then populate their schoolFeed profile using information and images from the new member’s Facebook profile. schoolFeed was launched in 2011 by Tokuda who co-founded RockYou, one of the earliest successful Facebook app developers. RockYou’s portfolio of popular apps includes Superwall, Birthday Cards, Slideshows and Zoo World.

“We expect the acquisition of schoolFeed by Memory Lane to solidify our Classmates service as the premier high school social media platform in the U.S.,” said Mark R. Goldston, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of United Online. “We anticipate that the addition of schoolFeed’s installed base of 19 million registered members, together with its daily registrations, will create an opportunity for Classmates to have a leading position on Facebook. It should also provide an opportunity for both schoolFeed members and Classmates.com members to reconnect and interact with an even larger number of people from their high schools. In addition, we add the proven talent of Lance Tokuda and his team to enhance the Classmates.com user experience.”

Classmates has over 55 million registered consumer accounts and class directories covering over 25,000 high schools.

USA, Woodlands, CA

Posted in Content Media, Internet Media, ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Google is acquiring messaging and advertising service Meebo for its Google+ team

June 4, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

In a post on its blog, messaging service Meebo has announced that it is being acquired by Google. Meebo is a social platform connecting users with other users through the internet. Their flagship product is the MeeboBar.

Signed by the Meebo team, the blog post say, “For more than seven years we’ve been helping publishers find deeper relationships with their users and to make their sites more social and engaging. Together with Google, we’re super jazzed to roll up our sleeves and get cracking on even bigger and better ways to help users and website owners alike. We’ve had a blast building Meebo so far and we’re really excited to start the next leg of our journey.

The terms and structure of the deal are not yet known. Last month All Things D gave Meebo a price tag of around $100M.

USA, Mountain View, CA

Related articles:

Posted in Content Media, Internet Media, ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Ball Publishing Co. Acquired by Brothers’ Publishing Co.

June 4, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

Ball Publishing Company founded in 1968 by John and Carol Ball in Southwestern Ohio has been acquired by Brothers’ Publishing Company LLC, a media company owned by Fred and Keith Foutz, two long time newspaper executives.

Their first acquisition has been from Ball Publishing Company, a family owned weekly newspaper with a distribution of 28,000 in southwestern Ohio. Both Foutz brothers are Ohio natives and have spent their careers in the newspaper industry with over 70 years of combined experience. The Foutz brothers are buying the assets of Ball Publishing Company for an undisclosed amount.

Fred, who will be the President and Publisher of Brothers Publishing Company, looks forward to the challenges this opportunity presents and the opportunity of returning home. He believes the Early Bird has a strong community print product and looks forward to improving it even more.

Keith, who will remain in Oregon, will be the CEO and said he is equally excited about this wonderful opportunity that Carol Ball has provided. He has been pursuing this property for well over a decade and he is pleased his persistence finally brought positive results.

USA, Oregon & Ohio

Posted in Content Media, Publishers, ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Mood Media Corporation acquires BIS for €22.5M

June 1, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

Mood Media Corporation has acquired BIS Group, a provider of commercial audio-visual installation in the Benelux region, for a consideration of €22.5 million in cash. Mood Media is an in-store media specialist that helps its clients communicate with consumers with a view to driving incremental sales at the point-of-purchase.

In the year ended December 31, 2011, BIS recorded revenue of €46.1 M and Profit Before Tax of €2.6 M.

Lorne Abony, CEO & Chairman of Mood Media Corporation, commented, “We are excited about the BIS acquisition for a number of reasons.  Firstly, the acquisition’s merits on a stand-alone basis are compelling; Mood is acquiring a well-established business with a strong market position at an attractive value. Most critically, however, we believe that BIS’s sophisticated and comprehensive installation capabilities will enable Mood to better capitalize on its tremendous visual market opportunity and grow its visual recurring revenue base more efficiently.

The acquisition is in step with Mood’s growth strategy of driving organic sales growth by enabling the enlarged group to offer an expanded range of products and services.  The integration of BIS with Mood also offers further opportunities to centralise and realise scale economies from the combined organisation.

Canada, Toronto & The Netherlands, Ridderkerk

Posted in B2B Services, Broadcasting, Consultancy, Content Media, Internet Media, Marketing/Advertising, ~Europe, ~North America. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

MoneySupermarket.com acquires MoneySavingExpert for £87m

June 1, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

MoneySupermarket.com has conditionally agreed to acquire MoneySavingExpert as a going concern from founder Martin Lewis, for consideration of up to £87m.

MoneySavingExpert operates one of the UK’s leading personal finance and personal finance journalism websites which was established in 2003 by personal finance journalist Martin Lewis.

According to Google Analytics, the MoneySavingExpert website attracted approximately 39 million unique visitors and approximately 277 million page impressions in the year ended 31 October 2011.

In the year ended 31 October 2011, MoneySavingExpert reported revenues of £15.773 million (2010: £11.361 million) and EBITDA of £12.642 million (2010: £8.379 million).

UK, Ewloe, Wales
Related articles:
Posted in Content Media, Internet Media, ~Europe. Leave a Comment »

BUZZMEDIA acquires Electronic Music Authority XLR8R

May 31, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet
Digital media company BUZZMEDIA has acquired XLR8R,  a online magazine that focuses on emerging trends in music, style, and technology

“We are dedicated to creating unparalleled media experiences around the culture that our digital audience lives,” said Tyler Goldman, CEO of BUZZMEDIA. “Electronic music and its associated lifestyle have grown massively, and XLR8R has established itself as the go-to place for the ever-growing number of passionate fans of the scene, providing in-depth and highly social coverage. Plus, I can dance like nobody’s business.”

XLR8R has seen a readership increase of 60 percent year-over-year for the past two years. BUZZMEDIA is intent on accelerating that growth, as well as increasing its North American presence to complement the base XLR8R holds internationally, particularly in the U.K. music community.

USA, Los Angeles, CA

Related articles:

 

Posted in Content Media, Internet Media, ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Groupon acquires Breadcrumb

May 30, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

According to the Groupon Blog, Groupon has acquired Breadcrumb, an iPad based hospitality point of sale system for restaurants. terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founder Seth Harris and his team are joining Groupon.

USA, Mountain View, CA

Related articles:

Posted in Content Media, e-Commerce, Internet Media, ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Lockerz Acquires Fashion Sharing Site Chick Approved

May 30, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

Social commerce business Lockerz has acquired Chick Approved, an online fashion community enabling users to share and receive instant feedback on personal style. The acquisition includes a partnership with YouTube star Megan Parken (MeganHeartsMakeup). Ms. Parken will join the recently-launched Lockerz Style Council, as well as its new “Tastemakers” community, in which Lockerz members engage with image collections from their favorite actors, musicians and stylists.

“Acquiring Chick Approved and working with one of YouTube’s biggest stars is a great way for Lockerz to continue to build its fashion experience for members,” said Kathy Savitt, founder and CEO of Lockerz. “Coming on the heels of our new Lockerz Tastemakers program, we’re giving members even more ways to get rewarded for doing what they love online.”

Launched just over a year ago, Chick Approved was founded by entrepreneurs Jeff Turnbull, Brett Miller and David Dripps. Together with Megan Parken, they grew their influence rapidly in content, fashion and beauty through Parken’s millions of YouTube fans.

The Lockerz Style Council provides insight on trends and merchandise assortments, as well as provides their own picks to Lockerz members through boutiques in the Lockerz store. In addition to Ms. Parken, Council members include Lockerz chief fashion editor Stacy Igel and various other fashion bloggers and stylists.

USA, Seattle, WA

Posted in Content Media, e-Commerce, Internet Media, ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Hearst Magazines UK sells Coast Magazine and transfers Psychologies licence to Kelsey Publishing

May 29, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet
Hearst Magazines UK is sell  CoastMagazine and transfer its licence with Groupe Psychologies to publish Psychologies in the UK, to Kelsey Publishing Ltd

Coast Magazine, which has a circulation of 40,464, is solely owned by Hearst Magazines UK and is edited by Clare Gogerty. Psychologies UK, which launched in 2005, is published by Hearst Magazines UK under licence from Groupe Psychologies in France. The UK magazine is edited by Louise Chunn and has a circulation of 104,491.

Kelsey Publishing Ltd, a family-owned business based in Kent, publishes specialist magazines and books including Period Home and Interiors, Jaguar World Monthly and Grow it!

Arnaud de Puyfontaine, Chief Executive, Hearst Magazines UK, says: “The decision to sell Coast Magazine and transfer our Psychologies UK licence to Kelsey Publishing Ltd is part of our overall strategy to focus on our core print titles and digital expansion. This move will enable both brands to grow and succeed under new ownership and we wish the team at Coast and Psychologies the very best for the future.”

Steve Wright, Managing Director of Kelsey Publishing Ltd, says:“We are proud to take on these two upmarket publications. Coast complements our portfolio of home interest magazines, while Psychologies, which is a prestigious international brand, will be our biggest title. This is a new and major strategic step in the development of Kelsey Publishing.”

After a short period of consultation, the Psychologies and Coast teams will move to the Kelsey HQ in Kent. There will be no interruption to the publishing schedule of either title.

UK, London & Kent

Posted in Content Media, Publishers, ~Europe. Leave a Comment »
« Older posts
Newer posts »