HarperCollins Publishers to acquire Thomas Nelson

November 2, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

HarperCollins Publishers has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Thomas Nelson. for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the calendar year.

Thomas Nelson is one of the leading trade publishers in the United States. The Company provides multiple forms of inspirational content including: books, Bibles, e-books, journals, audio, video, curriculum and digital applications available for download on “smart” electronic devices. It has published some of the bestselling books in the industry, including the current #1 bestseller Heaven Is For Real, and the books of many popular authors, such as Billy Graham, Max Lucado, and Dave Ramsey.

“Founded in 1798 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Thomas Nelson shares a long and rich heritage with both New York’s Harper Brothers and Scotland’s William Collins & Sons. It is thus with great pleasure that I look forward to welcoming Thomas Nelson to the HarperCollins family,” said Brian Murray, President and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide. “HarperCollins’ global print and digital publishing platform, which includes e-book distribution into more than 175 markets, Print-on-Demand, Digital-to-Print at Retail, and worldwide marketing reach, provides an opportunity to further expand the readership of Thomas Nelson’s distinguished authors.”

“Additionally, Thomas Nelson adds further balance to our existing publishing programs. Its broad inspirational appeal is a good complement to Zondervan, which will continue to publish books consistent with its mission,” added Murray.

“We are excited to be joining HarperCollins Publishers,” said Mark Schoenwald, President and CEO of Thomas Nelson. “We believe this transaction represents an attractive strategic fit for our company. With HarperCollins’ resources and capabilities to draw on, we will capitalize on the many opportunities in this rapidly changing world of publishing.”

USA, New York, NY

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Publicis Groupe acquires Chinese digital agency Wangfan

November 2, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Publicis Groupe has acquired Wangfan, an innovative digital agency based in Shanghai that focuses on piloting interactive campaigns, web branding, and the conception and design of websites.

Founded in 1997, Wangfan was among the first digital agencies in China, and has won numerous creative awards. The agency has seen rapid revenue growth in recent years, with a 19% increase in 2010 over 2009 and a projected 16% increase in 2011. Its clients include Puma and Shanghai General Motors, alongside a broad range of other international and Chinese companies.

Wangfan will be rebranded to become part of Publicis Modem Shanghai, the digital arm of Publicis Shanghai, and Wangfan CEO Bill Wang will become Managing Director of Publicis Modem Shanghai. Wangfan’s 61-person team will provide a fresh boost to Publicis’ local skill-set in the surging digital market. According to ZenithOptimedia, ad expenditure rose by 25.3% in China in 2010. Further double-digit growth is expected through 2013, driven specifically by Internet advertising, whose share of total spend will rise from around 18% in 2010 to 25% by the end of 2013.

The acquisition of Wangfan, which remains subject to the approval of the relevant authorities, is another step towards Publicis Groupe’s objective of doubling its size in the fast-growing Chinese market between 2010 and 2012. This goal is part of an overall strategy of strongly boosting revenue derived from emerging economies and from the digital sector. In the past twelve months the Groupe has acquired Chinese agencies Genedigi (June 2011), Dreams (May 2011), Interactive Communications Ltd (ICL) (February 2011), and Eastwei Relations (November 2010). In terms of organic growth (not including acquisitions and foreign exchange movements), China was one of eleven countries where the Groupe’s growth hit double digits in the first half of 2011.

Jean-Yves Naouri, Publicis Groupe COO and Chairman of China Publicis Groupe, commented, “China is a core priority for us. It’s a market where we aim to be perceived as essential interlocutors. Wangfan is a superb agency with a talented and fast-moving team. They began as pioneers and they have kept moving ahead of the creative and technological wave in the ongoing digital boom. We’re pleased to welcome them to our team in Shanghai.”

“Through this acquisition, Publicis Shanghai is able to integrate more talents and resources, and to offer our clients more services,” added Chenghua Yang, Managing Director of Publicis Shanghai.

France, Paris & China, Shanghai

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World Energy Solutions acquires energy management and procurement company GSE Consulting

November 2, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

World Energy Solutions, a energy management services firm, has acquired GSE Consulting, a Texas based energy management and procurement company, for approximately $8.6 million at closing plus a potential earn-out. The acquisition provides World Energy a major foothold in Texas, the largest de-regulated electricity market in the U.S., and a significant presence in the fast-growing small and medium-sized market. World Energy expects the transaction to positively impact top-line revenue, EBITDA and backlog in 2012.

“With GSE, we gain a proven winner in the competitive Texas marketplace with a large pool of customers and a top flight sales team,” said Richard Domaleski, CEO of World Energy Solutions. “This transaction caps off a series of strategic acquisitions we have made over the last several weeks that we believe are ‘game-changing’ for us. Together these moves advance our consolidation of the energy procurement space, broaden our customer target set and geographical reach, and increase our energy management capabilities. Consolidating these companies will accelerate our growth and enhance our EBITDA margins.”

Added Brian Dafferner, President, GSE: “We see tremendous upside for our customers and employees in joining forces with a national leader like World Energy. The Company’s vision for lowering total energy costs, and its ability to execute that vision, will be well received by the hundreds of businesses we serve. Not only do we see an opportunity to cross-sell new services into our existing customer base, but we believe our knowledge and relationships will help World Energy penetrate additional Texas-based and national accounts.”

GSE  was formed in 2002 following the inception of electricity deregulation in Texas. World Energy will retain the services of more than 20 GSE employees across three offices: Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston.

Today’s deal is the third deal World Energy deal reported by Fusion DigiNet in seven weeks. See also the acquisitions of energy procurement business Co-eXprise and energy efficiency firm Northeast Energy Solutions.

USA, Dallas, TX & Worcester, MA

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mergermarket Q3 Monthly M&A Insider report

November 2, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

According to the mergermarket Q3 Monthly M&A Insider report (October 2011), global m&a in the first three quarters of 2011 totalled us$1,718bn – a 21.5% increase from the us$1,414.4bn worth of deals registered in the first three quarters of 2010 – and the financial services sector saw an even steeper 37.4% increase during this nine-month window. The first three quarters of 2011 brought us$208.5bn in financial services deals to market, up from us$151.7bn in the same period last year,

Sectors covered by Fusion DigiNet

The largest sector by market share was Energy, Mining and Utilities at 23.1% (835 deals) down 10% (-125 by volume), in 7th place is Business Services at 4.4% (1,159 deals) -17% (+62 by volume), media is in 8th place at 1.9% (279 deals) +23% (no change by volume).

See the full report at mergermarket

Posted in B2B Services, Broadcasting, Conference/Exhibitions/Events, Consultancy, Content Media, e-Commerce, Energy & Environmental Services, Games, Internet Media, Market Data & Information, Marketing/Advertising, Mobile Apps, Research Reports, ~Asia, ~Europe, ~Latin America and Caribbean, ~Middle East & Africa, ~North America, ~Oceana. Leave a Comment »

Energy efficiency business Enlighted raises $14M

October 28, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Enlighted, an energy efficiency and building monitoring company, has closed a $14 million round of funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Intel Capital. The funding will support growth plans for Enlighted’s project pipeline and its efforts to deploy its lighting and energy management platform.

“Buildings represent one of the single largest opportunities for energy savings and intelligent lighting is the best place to start,” said Trae Vassallo, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. “Enlighted’s solution caught our attention because of its strong ROI and its simplicity. Installation is as easy as changing a light bulb and because Enlighted doesn’t change any existing wiring, there is no risk to mission critical infrastructure. Enlighted is the first step to making buildings smarter and more efficient.”

Enlighted was founded in 2009 by a team that includes Tanuj Mohan, CTO, and Premal Ashar, VP of Software Engineering. Tushar Dave is Chairman and CEO

USA, Sunnyvale, CA

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Amazon.com Q3 results – sales up 44% to $10.88 Billion, Net income down 73% to $63 million

October 27, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Amazon.com has announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2011.

Highlights

  • Net sales increased 44% to $10.88 billion in the third quarter, compared with $7.56 billion in third quarter 2010. Excluding the $371 million favourable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales would have grown 39% compared with third quarter 2010.
  • Operating income was $79 million in the third quarter, compared with $268 million in third quarter 2010. The favourable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter on operating income was $14 million.
  • Net income decreased 73% to $63 million in the third quarter, or $0.14 per diluted share, compared with net income of $231 million, or $0.51 per diluted share, in third quarter 2010.
  • Operating cash flow increased 19% to $3.11 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $2.62billion for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2010. 
  • Free cash flow decreased 17% to $1.53 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $1.83 billion for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2010.
  • Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards totaled 469 million on September 30, 2011, compared with 465 million a year ago.

“September 28th was the biggest order day ever for Kindle, even bigger than previous holiday peak days – we introduced Kindle Fire for $199, Kindle Touch 3G for $149, Kindle Touch for $99, and our all new Kindle for only $79,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. “In the three weeks since launch, orders for electronic ink Kindles are double the previous launch. And based on what we’re seeing with Kindle Fire pre-orders, we’re increasing capacity and building millions more than we’d already planned.”

 

Fourth quarter 2011 guidance from Amazon

The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com’s expectations as of October 25, 2011. Our results are inherently unpredictable and may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce and the various factors detailed below.

  • Net sales are expected to be between $16.45 billion and $18.65 billion, or to grow between 27% and 44% compared with fourth quarter 2010.
  • Operating income (loss) is expected to be between $(200) million and $250 million, or between 142% decline and 47% decline compared with fourth quarter 2010.
  • This guidance includes approximately $200 million for stock-based compensation and amortization of intangible assets, and it assumes, among other things, that no additional business acquisitions or investments are concluded and that there are no further revisions to stock-based compensation estimates.

USA, Seattle, WA

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Evolve Media acquires BabyandBump.com

October 26, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Evolve Media has acquired BabyandBump.com, which will become a part of its Momtastic division, an online destination and community for mothers.

BabyandBump.com is an online community dedicated to offering a friendly environment for both current and expecting mothers to engage in discussions about all things family related. Launched in 2007 by a set of expecting parents, BabyandBump has grown to become a leading destination for mothers seeking to read and discuss a variety of topics ranging from conception and pregnancy to parenting and family.

“BabyandBump.com is a perfect example of what Momtastic represents: a rapidly growing community that continuously keeps its female users drawn in through fresh conversations and engaging topics,” says Brian Fitzgerald, President and Co-Founder of Evolve Media Corp. “We are excited to welcome BabyandBump.com into the Momtastic family, and look forward to having its community further enrich our pregnancy and parenting offerings.”

The acquisition of BabyandBump.com follows Evolve’s recent acquisition of PregnancyForum.co.uk, a UK-based pregnancy community website.

USA, Los Angeles, CA

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Advantage IQ and Ecos to become Ecova

October 26, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Advantage IQ, a utility expense, energy and sustainability management firm serving large commercial and industrial companies throughout North America, and Ecos, an Advantage IQ subsidiary delivering electric and gas utility demand-side management services, are joining forces to become Ecova.

“As Ecova we can leverage the deep expertise of several incredible companies working in both energy supply and demand-side management, for a comprehensive solution to help our customers see more, save more, and sustain more,” said Jeff Heggedahl, CEO of Ecova. “The world is changing. Financial pressures are causing companies and utilities to look more closely at how they can save money and resources. Energy management is a key strategy for cost-savings—and a way for organizations to improve their environmental performance and reputations with stakeholders.”

Ecova’s subsidiary, Ecos, will immediately begin merging its operations into Ecova but continue as a separate legal entity through the end of the year. Ecova is the largest non-regulated subsidiary of Avista Corp.

USA, Spokane, WA

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GE Energy Financial Services acquires portfolio of performing energy project finance assets

October 26, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

GE Energy Financial Services, a unit of GE, is acquiring a diverse pool of nearly $1 billion in senior secured energy project finance assets located in more than a dozen countries. GE Energy Financial Services is acquiring the portfolio from the Bank of Ireland, which is selling non-core loans as part of its de-leveraging plan.

The loans are secured by long-lived energy infrastructure assets with an average loan size of approximately $35 million.

“With our industry expertise and specific knowledge of these assets, we see great value in this transaction and were able to execute in a timely and efficient manner. These assets increase our portfolio and make us more globally diverse,” said Matt O’Connor, a managing director and leader of the Financial Institutions Group at GE Energy Financial Services.

GE Energy Financial Services’ debt finance group provides a full complement of debt products and services to the energy industry, including corporate, structured, project, and acquisition financing. Its GE Capital Markets affiliate provides arranging and syndication services for many of these facilities.

USA, Stamford, CT

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Matchbin acquires NAVTEQ’s Radio and Television Advertising Group to form Radiate Media

October 26, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Matchbin, a provider of content management, advertising and local marketplace solutions for media companies, has acquired NAVTEQ’s Radio and Television Advertising Group, which as part of NAVTEQ Media Solutions provides content and advertising solutions for broadcast radio and television, forming Radiate Media, a media technology services company.

“Technology is changing the way advertisers, large and small, can promote themselves,” said Chris Rothey, former head of NAVTEQ Media Solutions, who will become Radiate Media’s new chief executive officer. “This enhanced offering will help our media partners revolutionize the industry in this evolving landscape and build strong relationships with local businesses.”

USA, Malvern, PA

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