Investcorp to Take Over Majority Ownership in Investis Digital from ECI Partners

Company is primed for strategic innovation building on over two decades of experience in digital communications and performance marketing

NEW YORK and LONDON, March 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Investis Digital, a leading global digital communications company, announced today that it has been acquired by Investcorp, a leading global provider and manager of alternative investment products. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Through its proprietary approach known as Connected Content, Investis Digital unites compelling communications, intelligent digital experiences, and performance marketing to help its clients build deeper connections with audiences and drive business performance. This investment marks a new chapter in Investis Digital's history, allowing the company to bring its wealth of experience, sector-based knowledge, and innovated technologies to more brands across the world.

The investment by Investcorp represents a full realization for the UK's leading growth focused private equity firm ECI Partners (ECI) for a return of 2.6x. The partnership has supported Investis Digital's international strategy, and today Investis Digital has offices in six countries and nine global offices, including New York, London, Phoenix, Helsinki and Vadodara, India with more than 500 employees worldwide. 

Richard Chapman, Partner at ECI Partners, comments, "It has been a pleasure to work alongside Don and the team, helping to develop Investis Digital's global proposition. We believe Investis Digital is now a global business well-positioned to continue along its impressive growth trajectory and make the most of the opportunities that increased adoption of digital communications can offer. We would like to thank the team for such a successful partnership, and we wish them all the best for the future." 

During the partnership with ECI, the company acquired Zog Digital, Vertical Measures and Microserve which bolstered its digital capabilities, especially in the US. Over the last three years, the company has trebled its EBITDA and with the additional capital, intends to accelerate product innovation, enhance client service and delivery, and expand market presence. 

"We are so grateful to ECI for their partnership and for helping us power our digital communications strategy with our Connected Content approach and for investing in our proprietary enterprise grade technology platforms over the past six years," said Global CEO Don Scales. "As we look to our longer-term vision for the future, we are excited and optimistic for the support and breadth of experience Investcorp will bring in the next phase of our evolution and the enhancements to the services we will be able to offer our clients."

"We are delighted to be partnering with Investis Digital as the company moves into its next growth phase. Leveraging on a unique blend of expertise and technology, Investis Digital has established itself as the partner of choice for corporates seeking to enhance their digital footprint. Fragmented regional markets, increasing demand from corporates for full-service digital communications providers, and the overall rise in awareness of the importance of digital channels makes Investis Digital well-positioned for growth through M&A, product diversification and a focus on cross-selling. We look forward to partnering with the exceptional management team to support the business in realizing its growth ambitions," said Jose Pfeifer, Managing Director of Investcorp's European Private Equity group.

Since its inception, Investcorp has made approximately 200 private equity investments in the US, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa region and Asia, across a range of sectors. 

Raymond James served as exclusive financial adviser and Osborne Clarke as legal adviser to ECI Partners and Investis Digital.

About Investis Digital         

Investis Digital has been at the forefront of digital communications for two decades. Over time we've gained deep sector knowledge, invested in leading technologies, and built lasting and trusted relationships with more than 1600 global companies, including Ascential, Anglo American, Rolls-Royce, Fruit of the Loom and Vodafone.

Through a proprietary approach we call Connected Content™, we unite compelling communications, intelligent digital experiences and performance marketing to help companies build deeper connections with audiences and drive business performance.

We tell brand stories through strategic and engaging content that meets your audiences at the right time, in the right place, with the right message. 

We build and run intelligent websites and digital experiences that are rapidly deployed and strategically measured, underpinned by our secure, world-leading Connect.ID technology and 24/7 service. 

We find the audiences that matter most through powerful performance marketing solutions that optimize and amplify your brand across all touchpoints. 

This unique blend of expertise, technology and "always on" service allow clients to trust that their digital footprint and brand reputation is secure and protected 24/7 by our dedicated team of 500 digital experts across 9 global offices. To learn more on how Investis Digital has been powering digital communications since 2000, please visit: www.InvestisDigital.com 

About ECI 

ECI is a leading private equity investor, investing in growth businesses valued up to £250m. It has over 40 years of experience, collaborating with management teams to build successful global businesses. With an unrivalled track record of over 110 realisations, ECI invests as either a majority or a minority investor, ECI is currently investing its eleventh buyout fund and manages approximately £1.7 billion on behalf of our institutional investors. ECI's previous investments in the services sector include Bionic, Imagesound, Moneypenny, and Citation.

About Investcorp
 Investcorp is a global investment manager, specializing in alternative investments across private equity, real estate, credit, absolute return strategies, GP stakes and infrastructure. Since our inception in 1982, we have focused on generating attractive returns for our clients while creating long-term value in our investee companies and for our shareholders as a prudent and responsible investor.

We invest a meaningful portion of our own capital in products we offer to our clients, ensuring that our interests are aligned with our stakeholders. We take pride in partnering with our clients to deliver tailored solutions for their needs, utilizing a disciplined investment process, employing world-class talent and combining the resources of a global institution with an innovative, entrepreneurial approach.

Investcorp today has a presence in 12 countries across the US, Europe, GCC and Asia, including India, China and Singapore. As of December 31, 2020, Investcorp Group had US $35 billion in total AUM, including assets managed by third party managers, and employed approximately 450 employees from 43 nationalities globally across its offices.

For further information, visit www.investcorp.com and follow us @Investcorp on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

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