Centaur to buy Econsultancy

Centaur is to buy digital and e-commerce information provider Econsultancy to create a “prominent” business in the digital marketing sector.

Centaur

The proposed deal, subject the shareholder approval, is an initial price of £12m with a further payment of £38m due in 2016, subject to business performance.

Econsultancy will become a part of Centaur’s Business Information division, led by Simon Middelboe, and will work closely with the Marketing and Creative team in the Business Publishing division and with Exhibitions, especially Marketing Week Live.

The business serves the global digital marketing and e-commerce community and will be bought for 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 founder Ashley Friedlein and the management team will all be staying on with the business. It has offices in London, New York, Singapore and Sydney and already generates 20% of its revenues outside the UK. In the financial year to 31 December 2011, it posted revenues of £6.6m, up 50% year on year, and adjusted EBITDA of £1.1m.

Geoff Wilmot, Centaur chief executive, says: “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 products.”

Centaur believes that a combination of Econsultancy with Centaur’s market leading brand, Marketing Week will create opportunities to grow revenue further, strengthen both brands and improve Econsultancy’s access to strategic, international marketing communities.

Since there is also has some overlap with Centaur’s New Media Age brand, the company intends to combine some of the activities within these brands under the management of Econsultancy.

Friedlein, Econsultancy CEO and co-founder, adds: “We’re thrilled to be combining all that Econsultancy has to offer with all that Centaur can offer to create a world-class proposition with amazing potential.”

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