According to NewEnergyWorldNetwork.com, UK sustainable energy business ENER-G Group is looking at ways to fund a future strategic growth programme and plans to appoint financial advisers to explore its initial financing options but says rumours circulating about a possible initial public offering (IPO) were false.
UK, Manchester
Accent has closed a new round of financing of €5 Million from Silicon Valley investor Tallwood Venture Capital. The funding will be used to accelerate development and production of key communication technologies for system-on-chip solutions required by Smart Meter and Smart Home applications.
“We are delighted to add a prestigious firm like Tallwood to our shareholders. The closure of this funding is a strong endorsement of our global market reach and technology position,” said Federico Arcelli, CEO of Accent. “This funding will enable us to accelerate market introduction of next generation Smart Grid technologies, as part of our ASMgrid offering, and continue to optimally address the needs of our customers worldwide.”
Italy, Milan & USA, Palo Alto, CA
Omnicom Group‘s Diversified Agency Services has acquired Amsterdam-based medical communications agency Excerpta Medica from world-leading publisher Elsevier, a division of Reed Elsevier Group plc.
Excerpta Medica will become a division of DAS’s Adelphi, a group of businesses that provide multiperspective healthcare solutions to the pharmaceutical industry. Excerpta will continue to operate as an independent business, with offices in Amsterdam, New Jersey and London.
The acquisition of Excerpta Medica will allow Adelphi to collaborate on an increasing number of wide-ranging global client assignments. Excerpta Medica’s portfolio of strategic communications services includes publication planning, medical meetings and education, interactive solutions and customized publishing solutions.
“For years I’ve admired the work and reputation of Excerpta Medica. This has always been a best-in-class company,” said Thomas L. Harrison, Chairman and CEO, Diversified Agency Services Division, Omnicom Group Inc. “With the acquisition of Excerpta we can align two related and strategic businesses to offer more value and innovation to our healthcare clients.”
Adelphi provides services in strategic marketing, marketing and business intelligence, real-world observational research and disease-specific programs, health and economic outcomes research, market access, pricing and research, health communications, medical education and strategic product development consultancy.
USA, New York, NY & China, Shanghai
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Global marketing and corporate communication consultancy Ketchum has taken a majority position in Maslov PR, the Moscow-based, full-service Russian public relations company. The firm, to be called Ketchum Maslov, will be led by Michael Maslov, managing director and founder of Maslov PR, and Serguey Chumin, his business partner of several years. Maslov will report to Jon Higgins, Ketchum senior partner and CEO, international.
The acquisition builds on a successful 15-year exclusive affiliate relationship between the two firms. In 2006, Maslov PR introduced to Ketchum the opportunity to support the Russian Presidency of the G8. Today Maslov PR and Ketchum continue to partner on high-profile work with the Russian Federation, for which the combined team was awarded both the PRWeek Award and the Public Relations Society of America Silver Anvil award for Global Campaign of the Year in 2007.
This acquisition builds on other geographic client service moves made by Ketchum earlier this year, including finalizing its merger with Pleon in Europe to form Ketchum Pleon, the industry’s largest, most diversified consultancy in the region; forming a joint venture in the Middle East and North Africa called Ketchum Raad Middle East; and establishing a new exclusive affiliate relationship in South Korea with local market leader Prain.
USA, New York, NY & Russia, Moscow
United Business Media has acquired Hors Antenne on behalf of its wholly-owned subsidiary PR Newswire to further strengthen its position as the global leader in corporate and investor targeting.
Founded in 1997, Hors Antenne is the leading provider of media targeting information to the European French-speaking markets. The acquisition consideration comprises an initial cash payment of €6m with a further performance-related element of up to €3m payable over the next two years.
Hors Antenne provides its clients with access to data on more than 500,000 opinion formers, including journalists and media organisations, bloggers, key political and financial stakeholders, analysts and business contacts in France and in French-speaking Belgium and Switzerland. The business’ client base numbers over 16,000 and includes 90% of the largest 1,000 companies in France.
Hors Antenne employs 45 staff at its Paris headquarters and generated revenues of €3.6m in the year to 31 March 2010. Hors Antenne’s management – including its founder and CEO Marylise Fortin – will remain with the business, which will continue to operate as a separate entity. The acquisition is anticipated to exceed UBM’s cost of capital criterion in its first full year of ownership.
In addition to adding profitable revenue to PR Newswire’s successful European targeting business, the acquisition will enhance and expand the range of targeting and monitoring services Hors Antenne is able to offer its customers.
Lisa Ashworth, CEO of PR Newswire Europe said:
“The acquisition of Hors Antenne strengthens our position globally as a leader in the targeting field but more specifically in both France and in European French-speaking markets. The combination of Hors Antenne’s services with our own capabilities significantly enriches our data product services and reach. This continues our vision to develop PR Newswire in Europe and beyond, both organically and through best of breed acquisitions.”
France, Paris
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According to paidContent, Apax Partners and Guardian Media Group – the publisher of the Guardian – have begun preliminary discussions with a number of banks about the future of their jointly-owned Trader Media Group business.
A trade sale or a flotation of TMG, which could value the owner of Auto Trader at up to £2 ($3.21)bn, are the likeliest options.
UK, London
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United Business Media Limited has acquired the OBGYN.net website and related assets from MediSpecialty.com, Inc. for a total cash consideration of $0.8 million.
OBGYN.net is a women’s health website for obstetrics and gynaecology professionals and consumers. The site provides article-based and multimedia content generated by both contributors and users. OBGYN’s archived, searchable online forums – some of which have been running for over 10 years – comprise approximately one million posts and include professional peer-to-peer discussions and consumer-to-physician/expert forums, as well as patient-to-patient support forums. OBGYN.net has a registered population of approximately 140,000 and attracts more than 500,000 unique visitors a month.
The acquisition of OBGYN.net expands UBM Medica’s network of sites for physicians and allows the business to meet growing advertiser demand for access to online audiences as healthcare readers and marketers shift from offline to online media. This shift is driving growth of approximately 20% per annum in US pharmaceutical and healthcare online advertising spending (estimated at $1.4 billion in 2009). The acquisition of a digital presence in the obstetrics and gynaecology market will allow UBM Medica to market both existing and new products and services across a broader audience which includes digital agencies, pharmaceutical companies and device companies seeking to reach obstetrics and gynaecology professionals.
Henry Elkington, CEO, UBM Medica said, “I’m very pleased to bring OBGYN.net into UBM Medica’s network of online resources for healthcare professionals and consumers. OBGYN.net has strong brand recognition as one of the leading sites focusing on women’s health issues and over the course of the last 10 years has built and hosted the interactions of a vibrant set of professional and consumer communities. OBGYN.net is a great addition to our successful online business and we look forward to developing it further.”
UK, London & USA, Del Valle, TX
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United Business Media Limited today announces that it has agreed to acquire a 65% stake in Rotaforte International Trade Fairs & Media, the owner of Turkey’s largest jewellery exhibitions, from its private owner on behalf of UBM Asia. The transaction is subject to regulatory clearance.
Rotaforte owns the Istanbul Jewelry Show, an international exhibition for jewellery, silver, watches and related equipment. Now in its 25th year, the exhibition is held twice a year in March and in October. In aggregate, the shows attract almost 60,000 visitors and 1,600 exhibitors, occupying net show floor space of more than 28,000 square metres. Covered products include gold, silver and diamond jewellery, precious and semi-precious stones, pearls, mountings, watches and clocks, machinery, tools and equipment, display units and security devices. The business is supported by the Turkish Jewellery Association, a national trade body which represents more than 1,100 jewellery companies, including the major manufacturers. Rotaforte also publishes a supporting magazine (in Turkish and English) and organises Turkish jewellery pavilions at a number of third party events in Dubai, Italy, and India, as well as selling exhibition space at jewellery events in Russia and Ukraine.
Rotaforte was founded by Ms Sermin Cengiz in 1986 and currently employs 21 staff in Istanbul. In 2010 the business is expected to generate revenues in excess of $5 million. The value of the gross assets being acquired is $0.3 million.
Turkey ranks as the world’s second largest gold jewellery exporter, the fifth largest importer and the third largest producer. Its domestic jewellery industry is highly fragmented, making tradeshows an attractive sales and marketing platform. Turkey’s international jewellery market is driven by strong demand from adjacent regions such as Russia and other CIS countries, Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Middle East.
Rotaforte’s exhibitions are highly complementary additions to UBM Asia’s existing portfolio of twelve jewellery tradeshows in China, India, Hong Kong and Japan, including the world’s largest jewellery fair: the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair. UBM Asia’s worldwide sales and marketing capabilities in this market will help grow the number of international exhibitors and visitors at the Rotaforte shows, as well as driving Turkish participation at UBM Asia’s existing shows. The Istanbul Jewelry Show is well positioned to become the leading fair in the European and Middle East regions. The acquisition also provides UBM Asia with opportunities to bring its other products and brands to Turkish, Eastern European, Balkan, Russian, CIS and Middle Eastern markets.
Jime Essink, CEO of UBM Asia, said:
“The acquisition of Rotaforte adds a further industry-leading exhibition to our jewellery portfolio and is in line with our strategy to enhance and expand our international presence in geographic regions of significant growth. Rotaforte provides strong synergies and opens up a wide range of new business opportunities both in Turkey and across the adjacent Middle East and CIS regions. I am looking forward to working together with Sermin, who will be Managing Director of the UBM Rotaforte joint venture company, and also her team, who have done a fantastic job in building the successful Istanbul Jewelry Fairs portfolio.”
Turkey, Istanbul
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Trinity Mirror has been a shareholder in the Fish4 business for over 10 years and previously held a 50% joint venture interest alongside Newsquest Media Group. Fish4 will sit alongside the brands in the Trinity Mirror digital classified portfolio including GAAPweb, totallylegal, SecsInTheCity and SmartNewHomes.
Launched in 1999, Fish4 operates one of the UK’s best-known websites for jobs, cars and homes. Fish4jobs was one of the UK’s first mass-market recruitment websites and attracts over 3.3 million jobseekers every month.
David Black, Trinity Mirror’s Group Director of Digital Publishing, said: “Fish4 is an excellent addition to our digital portfolio. The acquisition demonstrates continued progress with our strategy of building a growing digital business of scale, and increasing our share of the online recruitment market.”
Paul Halliwell, Managing Director, Trinity Mirror Digital Recruitment and Property, said: “We have ambitious plans for the future of the Fish4 business. Fish4 is a strong brand, to which we will add considerable value for advertisers and consumers alike through our digital recruitment and classifieds expertise.”
UK, London
MAIL.RU GROUP has announced its intention to proceed with an offering of ordinary shares in the form of Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) to be admitted to a Standard Listing on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker “MAIL”. One GDR will represent an interest in one ordinary share of the Company
The Offering is expected to consist of outstanding shares (in the form of GDRs) from existing shareholders and is expected to be completed by the end of 2010, subject to market conditions. The Company has appointed Goldman Sachs International and J.P. Morgan as Joint Global Co-ordinators and, together with Morgan Stanley and VTB Capital, Joint Bookrunners in connection with the Offering. Pacific Crest Securities has been appointed Co-lead Manager in connection with the Offering.
Yuri Milner, Chairman of Mail.ru Group said: “I am very pleased to announce our intention to list on the London Stock Exchange, and we are proud to have reached this important milestone in our Company’s development.”
Dmitry Grishin, Chief Executive Officer added: “Russia is a very exciting and fast-paced Internet market and we are proud to be at the forefront of developments here. With a highly engaged and fast growing Internet user community, our leading communications and entertainment platform targets significant growth opportunities that may arise from the more than 250 million Russian speakers worldwide. We believe we are well positioned to benefit from the expected growth of the Russian Internet advertising market and the increase in Internet Value Added Services.”
Mail.ru Group holds 2.38% shares of Facebook, 5.13% shares of Groupon and 1.47% shares of Zynga.
UK, London & Russia, Moscow
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