PE-backed OBI4wan buys Buzzcapture

OBI4wan, which is backed by Main Capital, has acquired Amsterdam-based Buzzcapture, a software-as-a-service reputation management company. No financial terms were disclosed.

PRESS RELEASE

The Amsterdam based software as a service (SaaS) reputation management agency Buzzcapture has been acquired by OBI4wan, in which Main Capital owns a majority stake. Both organisations offer high end SaaS solutions for (social) media monitoring and webcare. The acquisition strengthens both organisations as market leader for webcare and media monitoring. Clients of OBI4wan and Buzzcapture include ING, DHL, VICE Media, Warchild, bol.com, Boskalis, Schiphol, Univé and McDonald’s. Clients of both organisations gain value through combined, and therefore unique data insights, from over 20 million online and social data sources, as well as several offline sources, like radio, tv and print media (newspapers and magazines).

OBI4wan, since July 2016 strategically and financially supported by Main Capital, has ambitious plans to expand both domestically as well as abroad. Charly Zwemstra (Managing Partner Main Capital) “We foresee a significant consolidation in the Benelux and DACH in this growing market segment. The combination of OBI4wan and Buzzcapture creates a market leader in the Benelux region, this is a big step forward to become a leading player in North-Western Europe with emphasis on the DACH region.”

“The match between OBI4wan and Buzzcapture actually makes a lot of sense”, as emphasized by Buzzcapture CEO Alex van Leeuwen. “Whereas OBI4wan excels with the solution for webcare and messaging, Buzzcapture already offers high end tooling and service for monitoring and reputation analysis for years. The joining of forces brings together the expertise, in-house knowledge and development of both organisations. This manifests itself in innovative solutions for reputation analysis and customer service.”

Alexander de Ruiter, OBI4wan CEO, explains: “The combination of Buzzcapture and OBI4wan provides a complete Best of Breed solution for our clients and offers a solid foundation for our international expansion”. The opening of a Berlin office offers perspective for one international solution for media monitoring, webcare and reputation management. The joining of forces results in a market leader for the Benelux, where both organisations already have clients in Belgium, France, Italy, Germany and other countries.

About OBI4wan
Since 2009 OBI4wan helps organisations with a successful implementation of media monitoring and online customer contact. The user-friendly tool support clients with online and offline media monitoring, webcare, messaging, social analytics and content publishing.

About Buzzcapture
Buzzcapture is an international reputation analysis bureau, located in the heart of Amsterdam. Since 2006 the bureau offers, by use of the Brand Monitor, insights from (social) media data to customers in diverse sectors like the financial sector, health insurance, non-profit, retail and the pharmaceutical industry.

About Main Capital
Main Capital is a private equity and Mezzanine Capital investor with an exclusive focus on the software sector in the Benelux and DACH area. Within this sector, we are the most specialized company in management buyouts and later-stage growth capital. Main Capital has approximately € 150 million under management for investments in mature but growing software companies in the Benelux and DACH area. An experienced team of professionals manages the Private Equity Funds.

In the current portfolio of Main Capital are rapidly growing (SaaS) software companies like Artegic (Germany), OBI4wan, Axxerion, b+m Informatik (Germany), Ymor, Roxit, OnGuard, Sharewire, SecondFloor, ABIT/EuroSystems (Germany), Sofon, Connexys, Regas, ChainPoint, RVC and TPSC. Main Capital realised many successful exits like IASO to GFI/Solarwinds, Zetacom to Gilde Healthcare, Actuera to Waterland Private Equity and VisionWaves to IFS AB.