Tag Archives: Marketing

Platinum Equity to Acquire European Custom-Branded Merchandise Specialist XD Connects

Rivean

LOS ANGELES, US / AMSTERDAM, NL – Platinum Equity announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire XD Connects, a leading designer and value-added supplier of corporate gifts and custom-branded merchandise, from Rivean Capital.

Financial terms were not disclosed. The potential transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Rijswijk, the Netherlands, XD Connects serves more than 5,000 B2B resellers and distributors, primarily across Europe, offering a broad portfolio of high-end custom-branded merchandise. The company operates an in-house printing and fulfillment center, as well as a design studio and sourcing office. XD Connects is a recognized leader in the sustainable and responsible business gifting market, providing full transparency on product CO2 footprint through digital product passports, allowing customers to choose between traditional and low-impact alternatives.

The acquisition of XD Connects follows Platinum Equity’s recently announced agreement to acquire Solo, a pan-European supplier of custom-branded merchandise and promotional goods.

“We are thrilled to be joining forces with Solo and Platinum Equity,” said Albert van der Veen, CEO of XD Connects. “Our industry is changing rapidly. This envisioned partnership brings together two highly complementary businesses with a shared commitment to innovation, sustainability, and customer service. Our combined capabilities will allow us to better serve our customers, simplify their operations, and unlock new growth opportunities across Europe, consequently securing the position of the company in this increasingly demanding market”.

“Platinum Equity has a lot of experience helping companies build scaled, resilient B2B services and distribution platforms,” said Platinum Equity Co‑President Louis Samson. “This investment aligns with our M&A&O® playbook of partnering with strong operators and supporting the next phase of their development through operational excellence and transformative M&A. XD Connects is a highly strategic addition to our investment in the European custom-branded merchandise space that helps create a differentiated platform in a fragmented market with significant opportunities for growth.”

The European market for custom-branded merchandise is highly fragmented and undergoing consolidation. Platinum Equity sees a clear opportunity to lead that transformation.

“The envisioned combination of XD Connects and Solo will reinforce the group’s position as a leading B2B service provider,” said Platinum Equity Managing Director Malik Vorderwuelbecke. “The group will manage all activities across product development, procurement and curation of readily available inventory. It will provide efficient customization at scale across a wide range of print technologies and ultimate fulfillment on behalf of its over 20,000 B2B customers. The platform will become a true one stop shop that will broaden choice, compress lead times, elevate print fidelity and enhance product quality for its customers, allowing them to focus on their commercial success in a dynamic and growing market. We are very excited to continue to assist the combined group to further strengthen its scale organically and through M&A.”

“Since 2019, we have had the pleasure of working very closely with Albert and his team. From the start, we have been impressed with their entrepreneurship and deep industry expertise, which have been the key drivers behind XD’s strong organic growth trajectory, in addition to several successful cross-border add-on acquisitions,” said Rivean Capital Senior Partner Maurits Boomsma. “We are proud of the achievements realized together with the team at XD Connects, including the successful transition towards a sustainability leader with a differentiated, low impact gift assortment. We would like to wish the team and the organization all the best in the next stage of their journey.”

About Platinum Equity
Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with approximately $50 billion of assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 60 operating companies that serve customers around the world. Platinum Equity specializes in mergers, acquisitions and operations – a trademarked strategy it calls M&A&O® – acquiring and operating companies in a broad range of business markets, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, equipment rental, metals services, media and entertainment, technology, telecommunications and other industries. Over the past 30 years Platinum Equity has completed more than 500 acquisitions.

About Rivean Capital
Rivean Capital is a leading European private equity investor for mid-market transactions, active in the DACH region, the Benelux countries, and Italy. Funds advised by Rivean Capital manage over EUR 5 billion in assets. Since its inception in 1982, Rivean has supported more than 250 companies in realizing their growth ambitions and has a strong track record of supporting and scaling successful high-tech businesses with cross-border growth agendas, including footprint expansions and operational excellence trajectories. Rivean Capital has offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt/Main, Milan, and Zug, enabling a strong local presence across key European markets. For more information, visit riveancapital.com.

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Simon AI Launches Agentic Marketing Platform to Unlock Data for Contextual Personalization

.406 Venture

Simon AI acts as a marketer’s data and execution team, uncovering hidden signals, activating real-world context, and accelerating high-performing launches that elevate customer experiences

 

NEW YORK — Sept. 15, 2025 — Simon AI, formerly known as Simon Data, today announced the launch of the Simon AI™ Agentic Marketing Platform, to enable marketing teams at fast-growing and enterprise brands to break free from the limitations and trade-offs that hold back high-performing personalization. With Simon AI, marketers set business goals, then purpose-built agents turn live customer and contextual data into adaptive campaigns that deliver higher conversion, increase customer lifetime value, and drive measurable growth.

Personalization previously took weeks to months to execute. Now, Simon AI Agents identify signals and patterns, prepare data for execution, and automate high-volume micro-segmentation into engagement channels. As a result, marketing is now fast and nimble enough to activate customer moments, elevating both scale and performance.

“Agentic AI is changing how marketing gets done, representing the biggest shift since the move to SaaS and cloud computing,” said Jason Davis, co-founder and CEO of Simon AI. “Until now, marketers have faced a painful trade-off — launch more campaigns and watch performance drop, or push for deeper personalization and lose volume. With Simon AI, that trade-off ends.

“Agentic Marketing is a new model where embedded agents operate across the most complex workflows on an AI-first, composable CDP, accessing all customer and contextual data live in the data cloud. Simon AI Agents can reason over that data, enrich it, and execute at a scale that was previously impossible. Now, marketing teams can finally overcome the data and execution complexity that has held personalization back.”

Solving Data and Execution Complexity for Marketers

For most brands, personalization is still constrained by four challenges:

  • Data access: Marketers can’t get the right signals in time to act.
  • Execution bottlenecks: Campaigns take weeks to launch, making “real-time” and “continuous” impossible.
  • The missing context: First-party data leaves out signals like weather, inventory, and trends that drive customer decisions.
  • AI acceleration: Teams use surface-level AI tools for content generation and predictive analysis, yet struggle to apply AI to the most complex marketing problems that are blockers to insight and execution.

Together, these challenges prevent marketing teams from achieving true personalization — and they define why a new way of marketing and a new solution are needed.

The Simon AI Agentic Marketing Platform

Simon AI combines a goal-based workflow, agents that deliver insights and automate execution, and an AI-first composable CDP powered by best-in-class integrations. With unified customer and contextual data in a brand’s existing cloud data environment, real-world signals define audiences and trigger messaging, adaptive campaigns launch faster, and personalization executes with governance and control.

Simon AI Personalization Studio

The workspace where marketers turn strategy into performance. The Personalization Studio starts with goals, not static segments, and gives teams a guided environment to connect data to campaigns that adapt automatically to live signals. With it, marketers can:

  • Define business goals in plain language and turn them into data-driven campaigns.
  • Use Blueprints—reusable playbooks that translate goals into strategies and execution plans—to guide agents and launch thousands of micro-campaigns.
  • Continuously evolve campaigns with AI Fields and AI Moments. AI Fields create new attributes about customers or products, such as a “Cold-weather readiness score” or “Price sensitivity”. AI Moments detect and operationalize real-world triggers, such as a weather swing, social trend, or inventory change, that signal when to act.
  • Automate execution across every channel—engagement platforms, owned channels, and paid media—with campaigns that stay aligned to outcomes.

Simon AI Agents

The marketer’s data and execution team that builds personalization based on insights and customer moments. Agents handle the complexity of surfacing signals, preparing data, and activating campaigns so that marketers can focus on strategy, creative, and customers. With Simon AI Agents, marketers can:

  • Detect hidden signals such as churn risk, demand spikes, inventory changes, weather, and social trends.
  • Transform messy customer and contextual data into campaign-ready attributes.
  • Orchestrate workflows and activation across platforms like Braze, Attentive, Iterable, and more.

Simon AI Composable CDP

The data foundation and semantic layer that makes AI work. Running natively in your cloud, the composable CDP makes customer and contextual data actionable, enables high-volume personalization, and enriches the enterprise source of truth. With the AI-first CDP, marketing teams can:

  • Explore and activate all customer, business, and contextual signals.
  • Run personalization directly on live data with zero ETL pipelines.
  • Enrich data and write back new fields, segments, and results into the data cloud for enterprise use.
  • Maintain enterprise-grade governance and control inside the data warehouse.

What It Means for Customers

With Simon AI, brands accelerate differentiation and growth by launching campaigns frequently, acting on more signals, and scaling personalization without trade-offs. Early adopters have reported:

  • Rapid execution of contextually relevant campaigns.
  • Higher conversion rates driven by contextual signals and adaptive personalization.
  • Material revenue growth, powered by more campaigns in market at a greater speed.

The New Model: Agentic Marketing

AI is reshaping how brands engage customers. To compete, marketers must act on 100x more signals, make 100x more decisions, and run thousands of micro-campaigns. Simon AI introduces Agentic Marketing — a new model that removes bottlenecks, unlocks insights, and gives marketers direct control of fast, precise personalization:

  • AI-Powered Execution: Agents handle insights, data preparation, and orchestration as part of the marketing team. Campaigns adapt quickly to live customer and contextual data, scaling personalization without overhead.
  • Contextual Personalization with Real-World Signals: Marketers see customers in full context, connecting profiles and behavior to signals like inventory, weather, and trends. Marketing moves past assumptions and acts on what matters now.
  • Marketer-First, Goal-Based Workflows: Instead of starting with static segments, marketers define business goals. Agents turn those goals into personalized campaigns that launch faster and continuously optimize as new signals emerge.

Alongside the launch of the Simon AI Agentic Marketing Platform, the company has rebranded from Simon Data to Simon AI, reflecting its evolution into an AI-first company. The new name underscores the central role of agentic AI in enabling personalization and highlights the value of connecting data to execution through AI.

Visit simon.ai to learn more and connect with our team to see how Simon AI works.

About Simon AI

Simon AI empowers marketing teams with the data, tools, and support needed to deliver personalized experiences for each customer across every touchpoint. The platform combines an AI-first, composable customer data platform with AI agents, enabling marketers to start with a goal while agents analyze signals, create attributes, identify triggers, and orchestrate campaigns that continuously adapt to meet that goal. By uncovering hidden signals, activating 100x more customer and contextual data, and automating execution across engagement channels, Simon AI allows even small teams to perform like much larger ones. Leading brands such as ASOS, SeatGeek, and others rely on Simon to turn complex data into faster launches, personalized experiences at scale, and revenue-driving performance. Visit simon.ai to learn more.

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Constant Contact acquires Moosend from Sitecore

Clearlake

Strengthens Constant Contact’s International Presence and Complements its Existing Marketing Software Tools

 

Waltham, MA and Athens, Greece, June 6, 2025 – Constant Contact, a leading provider of digital marketing tools for small businesses and nonprofits, today announced that it has acquired Moosend, an email marketing and automation platform, from Sitecore. The addition of Moosend complements Constant Contact’s existing SaaS marketing platform and strengthens Constant Contact’s presence in Europe.

The acquisition of Moosend will unlock strategic growth opportunities and allow for investment in Moosend’s product portfolio, which serves small businesses and marketing teams who utilize the solution to deliver personalized messaging, improve customer interactions, and build loyalty. Following the transaction, Moosend will continue to power Sitecore’s Send solution for new and existing customers.

“The acquisition of Moosend represents an important investment in our global growth strategy,” said Frank Vella, CEO, Constant Contact. “Moosend’s established presence in EMEA provides us with valuable access to key international markets, allowing us to accelerate our support for small businesses across the globe. Furthermore, Moosend’s robust white-label capabilities offer exciting new avenues for us to bring Constant Contact’s best-in-class digital marketing tools to a broader set of businesses that serve SMB customers.”

“Today marks an exciting new chapter for Moosend,” said Panos Melissaropoulos, Co-founder and General Manager of Moosend. “Our teams are united by a shared mission: to help marketers win with solutions that are not just powerful, but genuinely intuitive and adaptable to their needs. I’m incredibly grateful for the trust our customers have placed in us over the years, and we’re more committed than ever to delivering world-class innovation that drives real results.”

 

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

 

About Constant Contact

Constant Contact makes digital marketing easy and effective for small businesses and nonprofits across the globe. Whether just starting or managing complex multi-channel campaigns, SMBs benefit from our powerful SaaS platform that delivers a simplified marketing experience in less time and with better results. With cutting-edge technology, best-in-class deliverability, and award-winning customer support, we help the small stand tall. Learn more at constantcontact.com.

 

About Sitecore

Sitecore creates digital experiences so powerful they connect the world. Our agentic experience platform makes it simple for marketers to reach, engage, and serve customers with tailored journeys that make their stories relevant. With AI at the core, Sitecore transforms content delivery, drives engagement, and unlocks personalization at scale, redefining what’s possible in digital experience. Learn more at sitecore.com.

 

About Moosend

Moosend is an email marketing and automation platform that provides businesses with advanced tools to create, send, and track effective email campaigns. Known for its scalability and robust features, Moosend serves a diverse range of businesses globally and is a key technology underpinning Sitecore Send. For more information, visit Moosend.com.

 

Contact

Kristen Andrews

pr@constantcontact.com

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Apiary invests in performance.io

Apiary Capital

ree

Apiary Capital has completed a significant investment in performance.io (PIO), the specialist provider of digital performance marketing services to the pharmaceutical industry. Apiary’s investment will support PIO’s management team to accelerate expansion in the US and Asia, as well as invest in people and technology as the company scales.

 

PIO is a specialist performance marketing agency focused on optimising the effectiveness of digital marketing for large pharma manufacturers, increasing organic online traffic to websites and content alongside improving patient and healthcare professional engagement. PIO combines deep pharma expertise with best-in-class, tech-enabled SEO services, positioning PIO as one of the few scaled specialists in a sector where digital marketing adoption is growing but remains significantly behind other industries.

 

“We are delighted to have secured the support of Apiary Capital,” said Matt Lowe, founder and CEO of PIO. “It was always critical to us to find an investment partner that had the right cultural fit and appreciated that the values we have as an organisation are key to our success. The Apiary investment will allow us to scale internationally and continue to invest in our people and technology to stay at the forefront of the exciting and rapidly changing market we operate in.”

 

Jess French, Investment Director at Apiary, commented: “We are incredibly excited to partner with Matt and the entire PIO team. This is exactly the kind of business Apiary seeks to invest in: founder-led, clearly differentiated, and focused on delivering real, measurable value to its clients. We look forward to supporting PIO in accelerating its ambitious growth plans.”

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Liftoff Announces Minority Growth Equity Investment from General Atlantic at $4.3 Billion Valuation

Blackstone

Partnership underscores Liftoff’s industry leadership as an AI-enabled growth platform for the mobile app economy

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – May 5, 2025 – Liftoff, a global leader in performance marketing and monetization solutions for the app economy, today announced that private equity funds managed by Blackstone (“Blackstone”) signed an agreement to sell a minority stake in Liftoff to General Atlantic, a leading global investor. As part of the terms of the transaction, long-time investor Blackstone will remain as the majority shareholder.

Liftoff is a leading AI-enabled end-to-end platform that enables mobile developers to build, drive discovery of, and monetize their apps. Blackstone drove the formation of the company from the transformative merger of its portfolio companies Liftoff and Vungle in 2021, which combined two scaled and highly complementary industry leaders. Following the merger, Liftoff has grown rapidly under CEO Jeremy Bondy and the current management team through an expanded portfolio of solutions and industry-leading product and technical innovation.

General Atlantic has a long history of investing in disruptive consumer technology businesses. General Atlantic will join Blackstone in supporting Liftoff’s next phase of growth as it scales its proprietary Cortex AI platform, builds on its leadership across the broader app economy, and looks to add capabilities through strategic M&A.

Jeremy Bondy, CEO of Liftoff, said: “This moment represents a potent combination of continuity and ambition. Our partnership with Blackstone has been transformative – over the past three years, we’ve merged Liftoff and Vungle, launched Cortex, and delivered significant momentum. The investment from General Atlantic is a testament to that progress, marking the next phase of our ascent and reinforcing our leadership across performance-driven mobile growth. While I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, we’re still in the early innings of growth in a large and rapidly evolving category, with a team built for this moment and the rare opportunity to shape its future. We look forward to building the leading platform for the largest and fastest growing media environment in the world: the mobile phone.”

Tanzeen Syed, Managing Director and Head of Consumer Internet and Technology at General Atlantic, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Jeremy and his management team to help fulfill Liftoff’s vision of serving the mobile app ecosystem and continuing to power growth through its combination of innovative AI technology, superior execution, and unwavering customer centricity. Liftoff has reached an exciting business inflection point, and we look forward to providing support alongside Blackstone, who have shepherded the Company through a transformative period.”

Sachin Bavishi, Senior Managing Director at Blackstone, said: “It has been a pleasure to work alongside Jeremy and the entire management team over the past five years through Liftoff’s evolution into a leading mobile app growth platform. This investment is a prime example of Blackstone’s approach to partnering with highly talented management teams and deeply supporting them with value-added resources and expertise to drive material business transformation and outsized results for all stakeholders. We are thrilled to continue this journey with Liftoff and welcome General Atlantic as a new investor as we jointly support the company’s rapid growth trajectory.”

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Jefferies LLC are serving as financial advisors and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is acting as legal advisor to Liftoff and Blackstone. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is serving as financial advisor and Paul Weiss is serving as legal advisor to General Atlantic. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and is expected to close in mid-2025.

About Liftoff
Liftoff helps mobile businesses maximize their revenue. It provides machine learning-powered marketing, monetization, and creative solutions that create better ad experiences and connect people with the products they love. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Redwood City, CA, Liftoff has a diverse, global presence.

About General Atlantic
General Atlantic is a leading global investor with more than four and a half decades of experience providing capital and strategic support for over 830 companies throughout its history. Established in 1980, General Atlantic continues to be a dedicated partner to visionary founders and investors seeking to build dynamic businesses and create long-term value. Guided by the conviction that entrepreneurs can be incredible agents of transformational change, the firm combines a collaborative global approach, sector-specific expertise, a long-term investment horizon, and a deep understanding of growth drivers to partner with and scale innovative businesses around the world. The firm leverages its patient capital, operational expertise, and global platform to support a diversified investment platform spanning Growth Equity, Credit, Climate, and Sustainable Infrastructure strategies. General Atlantic manages approximately $108 billion in assets under management, inclusive of all strategies, as of March 31, 2025, with more than 900 professionals in 20 countries across five regions. For more information on General Atlantic, please visit: www.generalatlantic.com.

About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. Blackstone seeks to deliver compelling returns for institutional and individual investors by strengthening the companies in which the firm invests. Blackstone’s nearly $1.2 trillion in assets under management include global investment strategies focused on real estate, private equity, credit, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, secondaries and hedge funds. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram.
 
Media Contacts

Liftoff
Casie A. Jordan
cjordan@liftoff.io
732-614-3880

General Atlantic
Emily Japlon & Sara Widmann
media@generalatlantic.com

Blackstone
Matthew Anderson
matthew.anderson@blackstone.com
518-248-7310

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SAMY Alliance expands European footprint with acquisition of Intermate

Bridgepoint

In a strategic move to solidify its position as the leading independent social-first marketing group, Bridgepoint portfolio company SAMY Alliance has announced the acquisition of Intermate, a top-tier German social media and influencer marketing agency. This acquisition, backed by Bridgepoint’s recent reinvestment in SAMY Alliance, represents a significant milestone in the company’s ambitious growth strategy.

Intermate: A Social-first powerhouse in Germany

Founded in 2015, Intermate has emerged as a category leader in end-to-end social media marketing, leveraging proprietary technology and a data-driven platform to deliver best-in-class execution and creator-led strategies. With a focus on maximum brand reach, superior efficiency, and data-driven insights, the company has established itself as a trusted partner for blue-chip leading brands across industries such as automotive, telecommunications, and consumer goods. Operating with a team of 250 employees across Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne, Intermate generates nearly 100% of its revenue in Germany, making it a dominant force in the market.

Strengthening Intermate’s leadership in Germany

This move will provide Intermate with access to SAMY’s capabilities and tools to deliver enhanced service to its clients. It will also position Intermate as a global social powerhouse, allowing them to offer not only excellence across DACH, but also a unified, data-driven social media and creator approach that can scale locally across markets in Europe and the Americas.

The founders and management team at Intermate will continue to focus on delivering the best service and social first experience to their clients in DACH and beyond as key stakeholders in the ongoing creation of a global independent social first leader.

A transformative move for SAMY Alliance

This acquisition marks a significant step forward for SAMY Alliance, expanding its reach into the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)—a key European market for social media and influencer marketing. By integrating Intermate’s advanced technology, deep market expertise, and strong client relationships, SAMY also strengthens its position in complementary verticals including healthcare, retail, and e-commerce, while further enhancing its capabilities in paid social, content production, and data-driven consulting.

With Intermate’s social-first approach and proprietary tech, SAMY will scale its services across key platforms like YouTube and TikTok, reinforcing its ability to help brands stay culturally relevant and ahead of digital trends.

This acquisition is also a milestone in SAMY Alliance’s ongoing European expansion, following the opening of its Milan office. With an established presence in the UK, Iberia, Finland, Italy and now Germany, SAMY continues to build a robust network, solidifying its status as a leading independent force in social-first marketing.

Juan Andrés Elhazaz, CEO of SAMY Alliance commented: “Since starting out, in 2012 for SAMY and 2015 for Intermate, both companies have shared the same ambition: to lead and shape social media communication with the boldest brands. We’ve always seen ourselves as pioneers, challenging the status quo and helping brands connect with people in more authentic, creative and impactful ways. Together, we are ready to lead the evolution of communications and shape the future of social media marketing at a global scale.”

Philip Papendieck Co-Founder/ CEO of Intermate added: “For the past ten years, Intermate has been on a mission to shape the social media landscape. In this new chapter, we are incredibly proud to join forces with SAMY Alliance, becoming one of the world’s largest independent social and influencer agency networks with over 800 colleagues across 15 countries. What excites us most is our shared dynamic and social-first mindset. Our teams, especially in the fields of tech and AI, are already working together to leverage our combined capabilities for our clients’ benefit.”

Héctor Pérez, Deputy Managing Partner of Bridgepoint Europe concludes: “This marks another important milestone in SAMY Alliance’s international growth journey, and Bridgepoint is pleased to support the team as they continue to scale globally. Expanding into the DACH region with a partner like Intermate strengthens SAMY’s integrated proposition and brings together two highly complementary businesses with deep local expertise and a shared vision. This is a strong step forward in realising SAMY’s potential as a global category leader in social-first digital marketing.”

Building the future of social media marketing

As SAMY Alliance continues to expand through strategic acquisitions and organic growth, it remains committed to becoming the leading independent force in social media marketing. By leveraging technology, data, and intelligence-fueled creativity, SAMY aims to shape the future of the industry, helping bold brands stay culturally relevant in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

The acquisition of Intermate is another milestone in this journey, reinforcing SAMY Alliance’s position as the go-to partner for brands looking to harness the power of social-first marketing.

The transaction is supported by SAMY Alliance’s existing investment partner Bridgepoint, which became the company’s majority shareholder in 2025.

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Red Oak Acquires 4U Platform, Introducing Compliant Connectivity to the Financial Industry

Mainsail partners

Austin, TX – April 7, 2025 – Red Oak, a leader in advertising compliance and marketing review software, acquired 4U Platform, a premier content distribution, engagement and analytics platform for the investment industry. This strategic combination merges Red Oak’s innovative compliance technology with 4U’s seamless connectivity between Investment Companies and Wealth Management firms.

By integrating Red Oak’s AI-powered compliance workflow automation software with 4U’s streamlined content distribution network, this enhanced platform helps remove inefficiencies, ease challenges of regulatory oversight, and reduce time-to-approval for marketing materials. Investment Companies and Wealth Management firms now have a unified, automated ecosystem that helps ensure content integrity while accelerating delivery of compliant marketing material to financial professionals and investors.

Red Oak empowers Investment Companies to efficiently manage regulatory approvals while maintaining compliance with internal policies, FINRA, the SEC and Wealth Management firm requirements. 4U’s platform improves manual tracking and disjointed approval processes, giving financial professionals a centralized, pre-approved content library to engage with clients cohesively.

“By integrating 4U, we believe we are redefining what is available to financial services firms—evolving Red Oak into a true Compliance Connectivity Platform that links internal compliance workflows with the broader distribution ecosystem,” said Dave Dutch, CEO of Red Oak. “We couldn’t be more excited about branching out, deepening our roots and expanding what is possible for the customers of Red Oak and 4U.”

The combined platform will help drive deeper industry collaboration, integrate AI-powered compliance efficiencies, and enable firms to seamlessly connect content, data and distribution solutions benefiting the financial services ecosystem.

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IDHL acquires The MTM Agency to scale integrated offer

Bridgepoint

Leading digital agency IDHL today announces the acquisition of marketing and communications specialists The MTM Agency.

From SEO pioneers to integrated digital marketing leaders, IDHL has evolved over 25 years to become one of the UK’s most comprehensive growth partners for ambitious businesses. From a foundation of search engine optimisation powered by proprietary technology IDHL has since expanded both organically and through strategic acquisitions across the digital landscape.

2024 marked a transformative milestone as the group united eight of their nine agencies under a collective vision to build the UK’s leading growth-centric digital services agency to deliver value for clients and partners.

The acquisition of The MTM Agency accelerates IDHL’s ability to deliver strategic advice across the entire communications landscape by bolstering its industry leading capabilities in performance, web, eCommerce and data intelligence as well as deep technical expertise. Aligned to IDHL’s mission to accelerate growth for ambitious businesses and brands in the digital economy, the strategic addition brings sophisticated complementary capabilities in creative, strategy and insight, as well as influencer marketing and PR.

The acquisition sees IDHL welcome over 80 new colleagues in Southampton, bringing fresh perspectives to solving clients’ challenges and expanding the agency’s strong UK footprint which includes teams in London, Leeds and Manchester.

The MTM Agency’s creative, strategic client-centric approach and vast experience in delivering for B2B brands will enhance IDHL’s offer to its existing national roster of clients whilst creating fresh opportunities to forge new client relationships.

The transaction is supported by IDHL’s existing investment partner Bridgepoint, which partnered with the company in 2021 via Bridgepoint Development Capital, a lower middle-market fund focused on supporting fast-growing businesses across Europe.

Speaking about the acquisition, Ben Wood, IDHL CEO, said:

“At IDHL, we are laser-focussed on providing world-class integrated digital solutions to drive growth for our clients’ businesses.

Driven by an entrepreneurial mindset, IDHL has evolved by responding to client demand – scaling with new services and solutions to meet their changing needs. This continues to be delivered through organic growth and strategic acquisitions to strengthen our integrated offering.

The acquisition of The MTM Agency brings our expert teams and leading capabilities together to create a powerful full-service offer that enables us to deepen our understanding of clients’ businesses and their consumers to deliver even more valuable outcomes.”

Gordon Hawes, Co-owner of The MTM Agency, said:

“For my co-owner Paul Jones and I, The MTM Agency becoming part of the IDHL family is the culmination of an incredible 16-year journey that brought together an exceptional team delivering innovative, insight-driven, and creative solutions which make a positive impact in a rapidly evolving landscape.

IDHL has shown a deep appreciation for The MTM Agency’s culture, creativity, and ambition, and a clear vision for how we can grow together. Its investment brings the scale, resources, and expertise that will ensure both our people and our clients continue to thrive.”

Wes Maynard, Managing Director of The MTM Agency, said:

“Joining with IDHL represents an exciting new chapter for everyone at The MTM Agency. The agency was built on a foundation of creativity, collaboration, and purpose, and this next step allows us to continue to build on those values whilst enhancing our offering and staying true to what makes The MTM Agency unique.

By tapping into IDHL’s network of talent, technology, and performance-driven expertise, we strengthen our ability to deliver powerful, insight-led strategies that own the space between brand, creative, and digital.

I want to thank Gordon and Paul for everything they have done to make The MTM Agency the business it is today, and I look forward to working with IDHL to build on the strength of their legacy and shape the next phase of The MTM Agency’s evolution.”

Robin Lawson, Partner at Bridgepoint, said:

“IDHL’s continued growth is underpinned by a clear vision to build a market-leading digital services platform, with support from Bridgepoint. The acquisition of The MTM Agency strengthens IDHL’s capabilities and further enhances its highly attractive suite of integrated, insight-led marketing solutions. We’re pleased to support Ben and the team as they continue to scale and expand IDHL’s market reach.”

Bridgepoint Group is one of the world’s leading quoted private asset growth investors, specialising in private equity, infrastructure and private credit.

With over $75 billion of assets under management and a strong local presence in Europe, North America and Asia, we combine global scale with local market insight and sector expertise, consistently delivering strong returns through cycles.

Bridgepoint Advisers Limited, a subsidiary of Bridgepoint Group plc, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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ITG expands globally with PureRed acquisition, bringing Halo content model to North America

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Bridgepoint

The acquisition of PureRed enables ITG to deliver their AI-enabled, agile content solutions and state-of-the-art Content Marketing Platform globally.

ITG are delighted to announce ITG’s strategic expansion into North America with the acquisition of US-based PureRed, an established provider of omnichannel content and technology for clients including Microsoft, Kroger, and Walgreens.

This expansion builds on ITG’s rapid growth over the last 12 months, which saw their Storyteq marketing technology recognised as a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Content Marketing Platforms 2024 and for Digital Asset Management 2025 – the only vendor to be named a Leader in both categories.

ITG also expanded its partnerships with some of the world’s most iconic global brands such as Samsung, Heineken, KFC, Jaguar Land Rover and Comcast. Now under the leadership of their global CEO Andrew Swinand, formerly of Publicis Groupe Creative US and Leo Burnett, they are set to drive major growth in 2025.

“ITG is well known in the UK and Europe for our agile, Halo content approach and AI-enabled Storyteq technology. Expanding our ability to deliver this content solution to more clients across the globe marks an exciting moment for ITG,” said Andrew Swinand, global CEO, ITG. “As a company, PureRed aligned perfectly with our vision for delivering scaled content solutions to leading brands, coupled with promoting a culture of kindness.”

The acquisition of PureRed adds over 500 skilled marketing professionals to ITG’s global team, which now exceeds 2,000 employees, and significantly strengthens our position in the US market.

“A sharp and consistent rise in both digital channels and retail media has seen the global market for Halo content explode in recent years,” Andrew notes. “Brands around the world now need tailored solutions that enable them to deliver personalised, high-quality content at scale – on budget and without compromising speed. Our AI-enabled, agile content model bridges this gap, and expanding our reach into the US with PureRed allows us to truly support our partners on a global scale.”

Brian Cohen, former CEO of PureRed and new US CEO of ITG, shared his excitement: “Over the years, we’ve built a strong portfolio of clients and a reputation for delivering exceptional omnichannel content and industry-changing technology solutions. Joining forces with ITG allows us to scale our impact and bring even greater value to our clients. ITG shares our passion for innovation, creativity, and operational excellence, making this partnership an incredible opportunity for everyone involved.”

“This is about much more than delivering higher volumes of content,” Andrew added. “It’s about unlocking the full potential of AI in marketing, leveraging both technology and creativity to craft the perfect story for every possible user interaction across any channel. With PureRed as part of the ITG family, we’re not just scaling our capabilities – we’re leading the transformation of our industry through a smarter, AI-enabled approach to content.”

ITG is part of Bridgepoint’s portfolio of companies and Emma Watford, Partner at Bridgepoint, said: “Expanding into the US is a significant milestone for ITG, and we are delighted to support the team as they bring their market-leading, AI-enabled content solutions to a global audience. PureRed’s strong capabilities and client relationships make them a perfect fit for ITG, and together, they are well-positioned to drive real innovation in the fast-evolving content marketing space. We look forward to seeing the impact of this partnership as ITG continues to set new standards for agile, data-driven content at scale.”

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Bridgepoint to reinvest in SAMY Alliance

Bridgepoint
  • Bridgepoint to become majority shareholder in social-first digital marketing group SAMY Alliance.
  • Since Bridgepoint’s initial investment in 2023, SAMY has surpassed annual revenue targets of €100M, with further growth through successful M&A in the US, Europe and LATAM.
  • With Bridgepoint’s support, SAMY will invest in enhancing its technology platform, expanding into new geographies and verticals, and continue its selective M&A strategy.

 

Bridgepoint, one of the world’s leading quoted private asset growth investors, has announced it will further strengthen its partnership with SAMY Alliance, a Spanish-headquartered social media marketing company specialising in influencer marketing, social media management and amplified paid social campaigns.

The new investment will see Bridgepoint become SAMY Alliance’s majority shareholder, following its initial minority investment in 2023, and reflects Bridgepoint’s continued confidence in the company’s potential. As part of the transaction, SAMY Alliance’s existing backers, including its main shareholder Aurica Capital and other minority investors such as Inveready and Sabadell Venture Capital, will sell their shareholdings to Bridgepoint. SAMY’s founders and the rest of the management team will continue partnering with Bridgepoint during this next chapter in the business’s growth.

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of the year following customary regulatory approvals. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Founded in 2012, SAMY Alliance specialises in delivering cutting-edge social-first marketing services, combining proprietary software and advanced analytics tools to empower brands in the social and influencer media space. Today, the company operates across 15 countries with over 600 employees, serving a well-diversified blue-chip client base.

Since the initial investment in August 2023, Bridgepoint and SAMY Alliance have focused on laying the groundwork for sustainable growth, including identifying and advancing acquisition opportunities to accelerate future growth.

The digital marketing sector, and social media marketing in particular, continues to experience rapid growth, driven by businesses prioritising social media marketing as a strategic imperative and by the increasing importance of influencer-led marketing in engaging consumers. This favourable market dynamic is expected to support long-term double-digit annual growth rates.

Bridgepoint has extensive sector expertise in the digital marketing and tech-enabled advisory sectors with a successful track record of supporting the international growth of businesses, including previous investments in ITG and MiQ.

With support from Bridgepoint, SAMY Alliance will further strengthen its leadership position in the social media marketing sector through its industry leading approach combining analytics to provide a meaningful understanding of audiences with intelligence-fuelled creativity. The company will enhance its technology platform, expand into new geographies and industries, and continue to develop its M&A strategy, leveraging Bridgepoint’s extensive sector expertise and global office network. These initiatives will reinforce SAMY Alliance’s position as a global market leader in a high-growth, dynamic industry.

In 2024, SAMY achieved a remarkable milestone of €100M in revenue, successfully meeting its annual target. During the period, SAMY completed three M&A operations: acquiring Kurio, a social media agency based in Helsinki; MDS, a creative technology and digital agency located in Bogotá; and most recently, Content Lab, a US-based digital advocacy marketing agency specialising in emerging platforms and a certified global ecosystem partner of TikTok. Additionally, in 2025, SAMY will expand its global footprint by opening an office in Milan, marking its entry into the Italian market for the first time. For 2025, SAMY aims to achieve double-digit growth while strengthening its presence in key markets such as Europe, Mexico, and the US, further solidifying its position as the leading social-first partner for brands.

Héctor Pérez, Partner at Bridgepoint, said: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with SAMY Alliance, a business that has consistently demonstrated leadership in the rapidly evolving social media marketing sector. This majority investment reflects our belief in the strength of its management team, its innovative solutions, and its potential for continued growth. We are excited to work alongside the team to further their success.”

Juan Sanchez-Herrera, Chairman and Co-founder of SAMY Alliance, said: “Bridgepoint’s reinvestment marks an exciting milestone for SAMY Alliance. Their support has strengthened our foundation for growth, and together, we’re ready to expand globally, drive innovation, and further our leadership in the social media marketing space.”

Patricia Ratia García-Oliveros, Co-founder of SAMY Alliance, said: “Bridgepoint’s support has been pivotal in helping us accelerate our growth and deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients. With this majority investment, we are eager to build on our achievements and expand our footprint in the global digital marketing space.”

Marta Nicolás. Co-Founder of SAMY Alliance said: “With the strong financial support of Bridgepoint, we are poised to deliver on our vision with confidence. This partnership unlocks unparalleled global growth opportunities and enables us to engage with larger, more ambitious clients worldwide, solidifying our position as a leader in social-first marketing.”

Martín Vargas, Investment Director at Aurica Capital, said: “As Aurica concludes its partnership with SAMY Alliance, we take immense pride in the remarkable journey we’ve shared over the past years. SAMY’s evolution from a promising startup to a global marketing leader with a truly innovative positioning strategy and cutting-edge technological capabilities is a testament to the team’s vision and dedication. We are confident that Bridgepoint’s involvement will propel SAMY to even greater heights, and we look forward to seeing the company’s continued success on a global scale.”

Bridgepoint was advised by JEGI Clarity (M&A), Uria (Legal), PWC and Marsh (Due Diligence).

SAMY Alliance was advised by Cuatrecasas and Herbert Smith (Legal).

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