CRISIL acquires Coalition Development

July 10, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., a division of Standard & Poor’s has acquired Coalition Development, a privately-held U.K. analytics company, and its subsidiaries. Coalition provides high-end analytics to leading global investment banks and other financial services firms. Coalition will be part of CRISIL’s Global Research & Analytics business.

“This acquisition reflects our commitment to helping customers succeed in the knowledge economy and also our strategic focus on high-growth businesses,” said Harold McGraw III, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of McGraw-Hill. “CRISIL is a leading provider of research and analytics services to the world’s top financial institutions and corporations. The acquisition of Coalition will expand CRISIL’s presence in the fast-growing high-end analytical space to reach more global customers and markets. CRISIL already operates in research centers located in Argentina, China, India and Poland.”

Coalition provides high-end analytics, mainly to leading global investment banks. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in the U.K. Coalition deploys unique proprietary analytics and algorithms covering market size, revenue dynamics and human capital. Coalition’s analytics provide a clear, actionable picture of the markets and are used by boards, strategy teams and top management at leading investment banks.

Coalition Development Limited were advised by Osborne Clarke. Mike Turner led the transaction assisted by Thomas Colmer and Mathias Loertscher and Prashant Mara and Ranjini Ghose of OC’s India desk.  Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, led by Linda Giunta Michaelson, provided US assistance.

UK, London and India, Mumbai

Posted in Content Media, Internet Media, Market Data & Information, Publishers, ~Asia, ~Europe, ~North America. Tags: , . Leave a Comment »

A Fusion Deal: Econsultancy sold to Centaur

July 10, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

Fusion Corporate Partners are pleased to announce our latest deal, the sale of Econsultancy.com Limited to business information and events group Centaur Media plc.

Econsultancy is a leading digital and events-led information provider to the global digital marketing and e-commerce community in the UK, with a growing presence in the USA, Middle East, Asia and Australia. Econsultancy’s revenues stem from subscriptions, events, training, professional qualifications and media. The company has approximately 110,000 registered users and approximately 5,000 subscribers.

Centaur are paying an initial consideration of £12m in cash, with deferred consideration of up to £38m due in 2016, based on EBITDA performance for the year ending December 2015.

Econsultancy was founded in 1999. In the financial year to 31 December 2011, Econsultancy reported revenues of £6.6m (representing an increase of 50 per cent. on the prior period) and adjusted EBITDA of £1.1m. Econsultancy’s CEO and key executives will remain with the business following the acquisition

The acquisition is a key part of the strategy to transform the Centaur Group into a predominantly digital and events-led business. The deal complements Centaur’s market-leading publications, events and digital services in the marketing, design and creative sectors.

Geoff Wilmot, Centaur Chief Executive, said, “The earnings enhancing acquisition of Econsultancy provides us with an exciting opportunity to acquire a leading information brand in a high growth sector with global potential which fits well with Centaur products including Marketing Week and New Media Age. Econsultancy is highly complementary with Centaur and gives us a prominent position in the rapidly growing digital marketing sector with the opportunity to scale internationally. We see considerable potential for collaborative growth through leveraging our existing position in marketing and the development of high value, paid-for information services.”

Paul Slight, Director at Fusion, said, “We were delighted to work with the team at Econsultancy. The company has become the leading source of independent advice and insight on digital marketing and ecommerce. It will be an excellent fit with Centaur products.”

UK, London

Related articles:

OTHER FUSION DEALS:

Media and Information

Business Services
Events, Broadcast and Other deals
Posted in B2B Services, Conference/Exhibitions/Events, Consultancy, Content Media, Fusion Deal, Internet Media, Marketing/Advertising, Publishers, Research Reports, Training/Education, ~Europe. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

dapd acquires Associated Press France

July 7, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

German news agency group dapd media holding AG, via its French subsidiary Sipa News, has taken over the French service of the international news agency Associated Press. After Sipa Press and Diora News, this is the third company dapd has taken over in France. This takeover makes dapd the largest agency partner of Associated Press worldwide. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Associated Press, a leading global news agency, entered the French market at the beginning of the 20th century. The firm has existed in its present form since 1945. Associated Press’s French office produces content in English for its worldwide service and also offers a photo and video service.

“With the purchase of Associated Press French Language Service, in the future dapd will be able to offer media and companies the whole range of agency services from one source,” said Michael Cremer, leader of dapd’s Europe expansion team. The takeover is preceded by many years of cooperation between Sipa and Associated Press. Sipa has sold photographic material from the American agency since 2001 in France. Sipa retains the exclusive right of use worldwide of international Associated Press news for francophone countries.

Germany, Berlin & France, Paris

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

Progressive Digital Media Group acquires Kable from Guardian News and Media

July 5, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

Progressive Digital Media Group has acquired Kable from Guardian News and Media. Kable tracks local government’s technology expenditure plans for suppliers hunting contracts. Kable provides business information, tactical intelligence, research, analysis and consultancy to a number of the UK’s leading blue chip companies. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

PDMG said in their announcement that the acquisition “is in line with PDMG’s stated strategy of growing its exposure to subscription-based content revenue streams“

Kable was acquired by Guardian News and Media just five years ago in a deal managed on behalf of the shareholders by Fusion Corporate Partners.

Related articles:

Posted in Content Media, Internet Media, Publishers, ~Europe. Leave a Comment »

Hellman & Friedman takes controlling stake in Wood Mac

July 4, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

Private equity group Hellman & Friedman is to take a majority stake in energy analysis group Wood Mackenzie in a deal that values the company at £1.1 billion pounds ($1.7 billion). Wood Mac produces research on the oil, gas, metals and power markets

Vendor Charterhouse will retain a 13 percent interest. The sale means Charterhouse has seen its initial investment double in value, having repaid nearly £150m of the £420m debt it used to acquire Wood Mackenzie from Candover for £553m in 2009.

Hellman & Friedman will take a 63 percent stake in the business, while Wood Mackenzie’s management and staff will hold a 24 percent interest in the company.

Wood Mac’s management and staff led by Chief Executive Stephen Halliday will hold a 24 percent equity stake in the company, valued at 132 million pounds under the Hellman deal.

Wood Mac is projected to make EBITDA of 88 million pounds in 2012, rising to 100 million in 2013.

UK, Edinburgh, Scotland

 

Posted in B2B Services, Consultancy, Content Media, Energy & Environmental Services, Publishers, ~Europe. Leave a Comment »

Bloomsbury acquires Applied Visual Arts Publishing

July 3, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

Bloomsbury announces has acquired Applied Visual Arts Publishing (“AVA”), publishers for the applied digital arts, from Applied Visual Arts Publishing SA and AVA Publishing (UK) Limited for a total consideration of CHF 2,578,930 (approximately £1,730,000). The consideration will be paid in cash in three equal annual instalments, commencing on the date of completion.

AVA, established in 2001 in Switzerland, with its English language editorial support office in Worthing, publishes between 20 and 30 books per annum for students and professionals in the applied visual arts and had a turnover of £1,820,000 for the year ended 31 December 2011. The books are written by leading academic authorities, and have been adopted by many hundreds of universities, colleges and higher education bodies around the world. AVA has a strong following within the design community.

Following the acquisition, the business will be managed by Kathryn Earle, Bloomsbury’s Head of Visual Arts, as part of Bloomsbury’s Academic & Professional division. Synergies with the recently acquired Fairchild Books list, the Fashion Photography Archive due to be launched in 2013, and the existing Berg and Visual Arts lists are significant.

Nigel Newton, Chief Executive of Bloomsbury commented, “As part of Bloomsbury’s ongoing strategy to build our Academic & Professional division, we are delighted to have acquired the AVA list and the timing could not be better. We already have a very strong presence in visual arts, which has been considerably enhanced by the recent acquisition of Fairchild Books. We are pleased to be able to follow on from the Fairchild Books acquisition so quickly with this acquisition, and to consolidate our textbook publishing in the visual arts. An added bonus is that we will be able to take advantage of new co-edition opportunities.”
Caroline Walmsley, Managing Director of AVA UK, added,

“Bloomsbury is the perfect home for the AVA list. The publishing synergies are significant – from subject matter, to marketing and the sharing of mailing lists, to distribution and representation. We are very excited to be in such a strong position to move the AVA business and to become part of Bloomsbury.”

UK, London & Worthin & Switzerland, Lausanne

Related articles:

Bloomsbury Publishing acquires Fairchild Books Posted on April 16, 2012

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

The Reader’s Digest Association sells Its Lifestyle and Entertainment Direct Business to Mosaic Media Investment Partners

July 2, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

The Reader’s Digest Association has sold substantially all of its Lifestyle and Entertainment Direct business to Mosaic Media Investment Partners LLC.

The sale includes Direct Holdings Americas, Saguaro Road Records and many of the assets of Direct Entertainment Media Group. Reader’s Digest said, “The sale proceeds were not material.”

USA, New York, NY

Related articles

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

ApartmentRatings.com owner Internet Brands acquires SatisFacts Research

June 28, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

Internet Brands has acquired SatisFacts Research, the resident feedback, performance monitoring, and retention enhancement service provider in the multifamily industry. SatisFacts will be combined with ApartmentRatings.com, an Internet Brands property that is the largest source of online renter reviews and a key source of information for prospective residents.

Founded in 2000 by property management industry veteran Doug Miller, SatisFacts provides resident feedback and performance enhancement programs, servicing hundreds of management companies that oversee more than 1 million units nationwide. SatisFacts’ programs provide year-round performance monitoring and client support programs that help enhance resident satisfaction, loyalty, retention and online reputations.

“SatisFacts has led the way in helping property managers understand their reputations and the drivers of satisfaction amongst their residents,” said Wade Hewitt, VP of Internet Brands and general manager of ApartmentRatings.com. “Combining this knowledge and service with the existing property manager-related services of ApartmentRatings enables us to provide property managers with an unparalleled end-to-end view of the customer.”

The Satisfacts team will remain in place post-acquisition.

USA, Los Angeles, CA

Related articles:

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

Mecom completes the sale of its media business in Norway to A-pressen AS

June 28, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

Mecom Group plc has completed the sale of Mecom Europe AS, which is the holding company for Edda Media AS, Mecom’s media business in Norway to A-pressen AS. This follows the earlier announcement that the Norwegian Competition Authority had cleared the sale. Edda operates 33 newspaper and websites.

Fusion DigiNet reported the sale agreement in December. the business was sold for an enterprise value of NOK1,725 million (€222 million).

The enterprise value of NOK1,725 million (€222 million) represents 7.9 times Edda Media’s FY 2010 EBITDA and 7.2 times Edda Media’s FY 2011 consensus EBITDA.

After adjusting for certain minority interest, net debt and working capital items, the effective proceeds to Mecom for the Mecom Europe shares are expected to be approximately NOK1,800 million (€231 million) of which approximately NOK300 million (€39 million) will be represented by cash in Edda Media.

In addition, Mecom’s sale and purchase agreement with A-pressen includes a conventional price adjustment mechanism such that, subject to the preparation and agreement of completion accounts, Mecom will receive an additional cash payment from A-Pressen for the free cash flow generated by Edda Media between 31st December 2011 and completion. Mecom anticipates that these incremental proceeds will be received within 3 months of completion.

Tom Toumazis, Chief Executive Officer of Mecom, commented, “We are delighted by the Norwegian Competition Authority’s announcement today which will allow us to complete the sale of Edda Media, resulting in a further significant improvement in the Group’s financial position. We are grateful to A-pressen for their co-operation throughout the past months and wish all our people at Edda Media well for the future.”

Norway, Oslo & UK, London

Related articles:

Posted in Content Media, Internet Media, Publishers, ~Europe. Leave a Comment »

Penton Media acquires Highline

June 27, 2012 — Fusion DigiNet

B2B media company Penton Media has acquired Highline LP.  Formed in 1992, HighLine provides airport, ground handling, fuel and services information to the aviation industry. Since 1998, HighLine has collaborated with Penton’s AC-U-KWIK, the FBO directory serving the business aviation market as well as other new products. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“The Highline/AC-U-KWIK relationship goes back many years and we are pleased to be able to integrate the two businesses and develop even more robust digital products,” said David Kieselstein, CEO of Penton Media.  “We welcome Gillian and Alain George, the founders of Highline, and their team to Penton.”

Gillian and Alain George, will become directors of the group.

USA, New York, NY & UK, Ascot, Berkshire

Related articles:

Related articles:

Posted in Content Media, Internet Media, Market Data & Information, Publishers, ~Europe, ~North America. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »
« Older posts
Newer posts »