AOL acquires social identity site about.me

December 21, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

AOL has is to acquire about.me, a product that empowers people to create a single personal profile page that presents their online identities together in one place, simplifying the social experience across the web. This includes profiles on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, email, personal blogs and more. Upon completion of the acquisition, co-founder Tony Conrad and his team will join the Consumer Applications Group led by Brad Garlinghouse and will be based in AOL’s Palo Alto, CA offices. Deal terms were not disclosed. about.me is set to join other strategic acquisitions made by AOL in 2010 including StudioNow, 5min Media, TechCrunch, Thing Labs and most recently, Pictela.

“AOL has an incredible vision for how content on the internet is changing – and how they will help shape its evolution. The combination of about.me and AOL is a natural fit as we think about what a more personalized web experience looks like for every individual online”.“about.me is more than just the aggregation of social profiles, it allows people to easily express themselves in an increasingly noisy environment full of disparate social experiences,” said Brad Garlinghouse, President of Consumer Applications, AOL. “Creating smart online identities for consumers can have an incredibly positive impact on AOL’s content and advertising strategy as it gives us the ability to provide relevant and meaningful content to consumers. The team at about.me has built an incredibly compelling product and we look forward to having them join the team.”

Founded by Tony Conrad, Timothy Young and Ryan Freitas, about.me provides a simple, cohesive way to give consumers full control of how people view their online lives. In addition to tying together an individual’s social profiles, about.me provides analytics allowing users to track how many people viewed their profile pages and which social networks they went on to view from there – providing users with deeper insight into how best to build and market their online “selves”. As a part of AOL, it will help the company enhance the experience consumers have with the entire AOL network from AOL Mail and AIM to content sites like Engadget and Popeater.

USA, Palo Alto, CA

Related articles:

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

eBay to acquire brands4friends for $200 million

December 20, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

eBay has reached a definitive agreement to acquire all of the shares of brands4friends, Germany’s largest online shopping club for fashion and lifestyle, for cash at a transaction value of approximately $200 million (€150 million). The move is designed to strengthen eBay’s position as a leading online fashion destination in Europe. eBay already generates more than $5.4 billion in clothing, shoes and accessories merchandise volume annually.

The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2011. 

Germany’s largest online shopping club, brands4friends sells high-quality goods from renowned fashion and lifestyle brands at reduced prices to members through limited special offers on a daily basis. Founded in 2007, brands4friends has approximately 3.5 million members in Germany, and has held a wide variety of campaigns with more than 600 top brands, including international fashion brands such as Buffalo, Calvin Klein and Diesel. The company, which employs approximately 200 people, is headquartered in Berlin.

“We want to give our customers the best possible fashion experience online,” said Doug McCallum, Senior Vice President for eBay in Europe. “With the acquisition of brands4friends, we will enter the online shopping club market with an established and dynamic partner who has the expertise, relationships and passion to match our own ambition. We expect many eBay customers will enjoy great deals on international fashion brands by joining the brands4friends community.”

Online shopping clubs are a fast growing part of the online fashion market, and now account for approximately 20 percent of online fashion sales in Europe, according to eBay’s own research.

“eBay is the perfect partner for us,” said Sergio Dias, Chief Executive Officer of brands4friends. “We are able to bring our retail and brand competence and industry knowledge to eBay, and we can expect to benefit from eBay’s traffic and ecommerce experience to accelerate the growth of our shopping community.”

As part of the deal eBay will assume brands4friends’ equity interests in U.K. shopping club SecretSales.com and in Japan, brands4friends.jp.

USA, San Jose, CA & Germany, Berlin

Related articles:

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

Ringier Axel Springer Media AG acquires majority in leading Slovakian internet portal AZET.SK

December 20, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Ringier Axel Springer Media AG, a joint venture founded by Swiss Ringier AG and German Axel Springer AG and  one of the leading media companies in Central and Eastern Europe, has acquired through its Slovakian subsidiary a 70 percent stake in the provider of the Slovakian web portal AZET.SK. The horizontal internet portal AZET.SK operates a number of different websites and online services. Founded in 1997, the company reaches more than 75 percent of Slovakian internet users (approx. 1.9 million unique users) and is the country’s online market leader.

Florian Fels, CEO of Ringier Axel Springer Media AG: “With our stake in AZET.SK, we have instantly acquired a leading position in Slovakia’s online market, which is expected to grow by up to 25 percent over the coming years according to current forecasts. This portal with its wide range of content is an excellent fit with our strong media brands and products, as well as an ideal addition to our current portfolio in Slovakia. I am especially delighted that the existing management team with the four AZET founders will remain with AZET and support the ongoing process of innovation and digitalization launched by Ringier Axel Springer Media AG in Central and Eastern Europe.”

Milan Dubec, founder and CEO of AZET.SK: “In Ringier Axel Springer Media we have found the right partner for AZET with a strong interest in a strategic partnership. Our common goal is to continue expanding our online business and strengthen AZET’s market position. We are looking forward to this promising collaboration.”

In the current Deloitte ranking of the fastest growing technology companies in Central Europe, AZET.SK is in eighth place over all and in first place in Slovakia (Technology Fast 50 Central Europe 2010).

Switzerland, Zurich & Slovakia, Silinia

Related articles:

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

Publicis Groupe acquires Healthcare Consulting

December 20, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Publicis Groupe has acquired Healthcare Consulting, a strategic consulting firm focused on the healthcare sector. This new agency will be renamed Publicis Healthcare Consulting, and will continue to be led by the agency’s founders Francois Sarkozy, Chairman, and Yannick Sabatin General Manager. Following the acquisition, Francois Sarkozy will act as a special advisor to Jean-Yves Naouri, Chief Operating Officer of Publicis Groupe. Jean-Yves Naouri also supervises Publicis Healthcare Communications Group, which is led by PHCG CEO Nick Colucci.

Headquartered in Paris, with an office in New York, Publicis Healthcare Consulting provides strategic consulting to healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.

Jean-Yves Naouri, Chief Operating Officer of Publicis Groupe, stated “I am delighted to welcome Francois Sarkozy and Yannick Sabatin to our expanding healthcare offering. The duo brings a very compelling yet innovative approach to serving clients and we will benefit immensely from their expertise”.

France, Paris

Related articles:

Brazil: Publicis Groupe takes majority stake in Brazil’s Andreoli MS&L

December 16, 2010

Posted in Marketing/Advertising, ~Europe. Leave a Comment »

Banks.com acquires FileLater.com

December 20, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

 
Banks.com, an operator of financial services focused media properties, has acquired FileLater.com, a leader in the online tax extension industry and a portfolio of tax-related Internet domains.

“The acquisition of FileLater and its portfolio of tax-related domain names fits like a glove with our go-forward strategy and makes us a dominant player in the online tax extension industry,” said Dan O’Donnell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Banks.com, Inc. “In addition to providing us with a proprietary platform, we will now own three of the top 10 URL’s in the Google algorithmic search listings for the term ‘tax extension,’ which is among the highest converting of all tax-related terms. This additional organic traffic, together with the traffic we generate through IRS.com, should generate meaningful revenue in the upcoming 2011 tax season.”

The Company also secured $600,000 in financing through a sale/leaseback transaction with Domain Capital of Fort Lee, N.J., and an additional $100,000 in debt from the Company’s CEO. “We are very pleased that we were able to secure additional working capital as well as the funds necessary to complete this acquisition,” continued Mr. O’Donnell. “This is a critical step in our evolution towards a more sustainable model in online personal finance and my investment in the Company to help facilitate our acquisition of FileLater is indicative of my personal commitment to achieving that goal. In addition, the sale/leaseback transaction has allowed us to monetize an intangible asset on our balance sheet while we continue to enjoy the upside value of those assets and all without the need to dilute our current shareholders.”

USA, San Francisco, CA

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

Wolters Kluwer Health completes acquisition of Pharmacy OneSource

December 20, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Wolters Kluwer Health, a provider of information and business intelligence for professionals, students and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health and pharmacy, has completed the acquisition of Pharmacy OneSource, a leading Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider in the hospital pharmacy market. The agreement to acquire Pharmacy OneSource was announced on November 29, 2010. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

This acquisition extends Wolters Kluwer Health’s Clinical Decision Support (CDS) solutions into the hospital pharmacy market and fits squarely into the company’s strategy to expand its business into high growth markets, particularly the fast-growing point-of-care market.

“The acquisition of Pharmacy OneSource will further drive our growth in the point-of-care market, which includes the critical area of the hospital pharmacy,” said Arvind Subramanian, President & CEO, Wolters Kluwer Health Clinical Solutions. “Our combined product offerings will give us an excellent portfolio of healthcare information and clinical decision tools for the pharmacy, where there is a strong need for resources and tools to drive compliance, greater patient safety and cost reductions.”

USA, Philadelphia, PA

Related articles:

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

ITE Group acquires Russian exhibition organiser, MVK for €33 million

December 20, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

The international trade event organiser, ITE Group plc has completed the acquisition of the Russian exhibition organiser, MVK and its exhibitions.  As a result of the transaction, ITE’s portfolio will now include international trade exhibitions such as PolygraphInter, Rosupak, Euroexpofurniture, Interkomplekt, Holzhaus, Woodex, PCVEXPO, Mashex and others. The total consideration is for €33m (US$44m), payable in cash on completion and funded from existing cash resources and agreed loans.

This deal further strengthens ITE’s business in Russia and extends it into several new industry sectors.

Alexander Shtalenkov, General Director of ITE Moscow said, “The acquisition of MVK’s events creates exciting growth opportunities for ITE. We will be able to use our experience of organising major international trade exhibitions in Russia and the Group’s network of domestic and overseas offices to promote and sell the MVK events. Stability and continuity are important, and I am delighted that the MVK staff and partners who have built up this business, and possess the expertise and knowledge of each event, are joining the company. We will also be applying the well established business and marketing practices of both companies to develop further the events, taking them to new levels”.

Russell Taylor, CEO of ITE, said of the acquisition. “I am excited by the opportunity this presents for ITE to develop events in new industry sectors, and so to strengthen our position in the Russian exhibition industry. Moscow is home to our largest exhibitions and this deal will significantly expand our portfolio of events here. ITE’s business has remained robust despite the challenges of the economic downturn and with many of our Moscow-based events anticipating a return to growth in the near future; this development is well timed to build on the confidence that is currently evident in the Russian economy”.

UK, London & Russia, Moscow

Posted in Conference/Exhibitions/Events, Content Media, ~Europe. Leave a Comment »

Matrix Private Equity Partners completes £4 million MBO of Faversham House

December 20, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Matrix Private Equity Partners, the small buyout specialist, has invested in the £4 million management buy-out of Faversham House Group. Faversham publish Europe’s largest environmental website www.edie.net and stages the UK’s no.1 environmental exhibition, Sustainability Live!.  Matrix is investing £1.75m and will take a significant minority stake in the business.  This is Matrix’s 7th investment in the media and publishing sector and comes following the recent investment in recruitment business RDL Corporation.

Faversham, a family owned business founded in 1960, has developed into a leading media business providing websites, exhibitions and print publications to the environmental, visual communications, home improvements and building services sectors.  The business employs over 100 people and is forecasting revenues of £10m in the current year. 

Chris Price, investment manager of Matrix who led the deal comments: “Faversham is uniquely placed to benefit from both the strong growth in the environmental sector as well as the continuing media shift towards online assets.  Management have demonstrated the ability to grow by acquisition and we look forward to supporting their strategy to develop Faversham into an integrated media player in a number of attractive verticals.”

Matrix has introduced Operating Partner and serial entrepreneur, Bob Fairchild who will join as Chairman and Jill Williams who joins as FD having performed the same role for successful Matrix investment Tottel publishing.  Bob, currently Chairman of Matrix investee company ATG Media, is highly experienced in the sector and was previously managing director of Landmark Information Group, which was sold to Daily Mail & General Trust Plc.  

Amanda Barnes, CEO of Faversham comments: “We are thrilled to have partnered with Matrix and were impressed by their track record of growing businesses within the publishing and media sector.   With Matrix’s investment we are now able to take our business up a gear and implement a strong acquisitive growth strategy.”

UK, Croydon, Surrey

Related articles:

Posted in Conference/Exhibitions/Events, Content Media, Internet Media, Publishers, ~Europe. Leave a Comment »

What is it like to sell your company?

December 18, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Fusion sold John Hall’s business last year. Here is John’s account of what it is like to sell your business.

I set up John Hall Associates in 1973 as an information service to advise UK industrial and commercial oil consumers on the different facets of commercial purchasing and to provide on-going market intelligence to enable them to stay ahead of the mainstream market.  In 1990 de-regulation of the UK electricity and gas markets was introduced and we extended our activities to provide commercial advice in these two sectors both directly and through a range of publications.  Within two years, our clients were asking us to take over procurement negotiations for them. In 1999 we started to follow the slow liberalisation process that had been promised for the EU market and by 2005 we were becoming established within the overall EU energy market; and were certainly in the top six of the four hundred consultancies in the UK

Over the years I had received a number of approaches from prospective acquirers of my company, but nothing that had appealed to me.  However, in 2006 a US company made a serious approach, following a discussion to set up a partnership with one of its subsidiary companies that provided similar service to its US clients in the same way that we did for our pan-European clients.  The fit between the two organisations was excellent and by the end of 2006, discussions were well advanced.  As we moved in to 2007, regulatory changes in the US caused the prospective purchaser to put all non-core activities on hold and therefore the proposed sale was halted.  Towards the end of 2007, discussions were re-opened, but then we moved into the second quarter of 2008 and the period leading up to the global financial crisis. The market turmoil caused the prospective purchaser to divest itself of all non-core activities, including the consultancy division which we were planning to merge with.  Once the de-merger had taken place there was a brief discussion with the now independent consultancy but the arrangement was not appealing enough for me and we ceased discussions.

In 2008, I was approached by three UK based organisations, all at around the same time. In spite of the fact that my company had never actually been put up for sale, I decided to take one approach seriously.  However, as this company had made a number of approaches to me over the previous ten years, all of which resulted in failed negotiations, I decided that I should only proceed with professional advice from a specialist firm.  I spoke to a friend who had successfully sold a company that competed with mine. He recommended Fusion Corporate Partners to me, the same M&A firm that had advised him.

I arranged a meeting between Mark Eisenstadt, a partner at Fusion; Neil Hart, my solicitor at Thomas Eggar and my accountant David Brownrigg of David Bowden & Company.  If we were to go ahead with this sale, I wanted to ensure that I had a team in place and not to have to pass messages from one person to another.  We decided that Fusion was the company we needed to run the sale process.  I was assigned Paul Kelly from Fusion to act as my permanent advisor.

The process was long winded and more complicated than any of us expected. However, throughout the process Paul Kelly was available virtually 24/7 and never once faltered in his determination to keep the process on track.  In terms of day-to-day negotiations and problem solving and generally keeping everyone active, Paul made this deal happen.  I was fortunate to have an excellent legal, accountancy and corporate finance team on my side. Now, one year on, Paul is advising me on the earn-out portion of the deal. 

There are many pitfalls to selling one’s company and I can state quite categorically that no such exercise should be considered without the support of an organisation such as Fusion Corporate Partnership.

Posted in B2B Services, Energy & Environmental Services, Special Feature. Leave a Comment »

Yahoo to sell Delicious

December 18, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Yesterday a leaked a slide from an internal Yahoo slide show suggested that Yahoo! is closing or merging Del.icio.us, Upcoming, Fire Eagle, MyBlogLog, and more.

Yahoo have now announced that they are thinking of selling Delicious.

The full announcement is below:

What’s Next for Delicious?
Many of you have read the news stories about Delicious that began appearing yesterday. We’re genuinely sorry to have these stories appear with so little context for our loyal users. While we can’t answer each of your questions individually, we wanted to address what we can at this stage and we promise to keep you posted as future plans get finalized.

Is Delicious being shut down? And should I be worried about my data?

– No, we are not shutting down Delicious. While we have determined that there is not a strategic fit at Yahoo!, we believe there is a ideal home for Delicious outside of the company where it can be resourced to the level where it can be competitive.

What is Yahoo! going to do with Delicious?
– We’re actively thinking about the future of Delicious and we believe there is a home outside the company that would make more sense for the service and our users. We’re in the process of exploring a variety of options and talking to companies right now. And we’ll share our plans with you as soon as we can.

What if I want to get my bookmarks out of Delicious right away?
– As noted above, there’s no reason to panic. We are maintaining Delicious and encourage you to keep using it. That said, we have export options if you so choose. Additionally, many services provide the ability to import Delicious links and tags.

We can only imagine how upsetting the news coverage over the past 24 hours has been to many of you. Speaking for our team, we were very disappointed by the way that this appeared in the press. We’ll let you know more as things develop.

USA, Sunnyvale, CA

Related articles:

Posted in Content Media, Internet Media, ~North America. Leave a Comment »
« Older posts
Newer posts »