RTL Ventures-owned Couverts buys Dinnersite

Couverts, which is owned by RTL Ventures, has acquired Dutch online restaurant guide Dinnersite. No financial terms were disclosed.

PRESS RELEASE

Couverts, the online table reservation portal owned by RTL Ventures, strengthens its position as market leader with the takeover of the online restaurant guide Dinnersite. The combination of the two companies creates an unrivaled position in the Dutch online restaurant booking market, with more than 3,000 restaurants available for reservations.

Dinnersite was launched as the first online restaurant guide in the Netherlands in 1996 and operates across a range of platforms, including a popular website, a restaurant guide app and menu card mailings. Its significant market share and valuable consumer brand will solidify Couverts’ market leading position and accelerate future growth.

Nicolas Eglau, Managing Director Ventures at RTL Nederland commented: “Since our acquisition of Couverts in 2010, it has become the leading booking site in the Netherlands. In December alone, we saw a fivefold increase in the number of bookings compared to December 2013, and the number of restaurant reviews increased by 252% in 2014. The acquisition of Dinnersite, the largest and most complete restaurant guide in the Netherlands, will further strengthen this market leading position and the complementary nature of the two brands will benefit both consumers and restaurant operators.”

“The culinary powerhouse created by the combined forces of Couverts and Dinnersite will enrich RTL Ventures’ broader portfolio and represents a significant investment to drive further growth and value creation.”

Facts:
• Couverts is a fully-owned subsidiary of RTL Ventures, the investment division of RTL Nederland. It was acquired by RTL Ventures in 2010.
• Couverts currently has 2,024 bookable restaurants compared with 1,100 in 2013 (increase of 84%).
• With the takeover of Dinnersite, up to 988 unique bookable restaurants will be added to Couverts’ offer.
• Dinnersite will retain the use of its current brand and platform.
• Couverts was founded by entrepreneurs Paul Wiertz and Michiel Huisman.
Links: www.rtlventures.nl, www.couverts.nl and www.dinnersite.nl

About RTL Ventures
RTL Ventures is the investment division of media and entertainment company RTL Nederland, the Dutch arm of RTL Group. RTL Ventures aims to take advantage of new business opportunities in a range of consumer markets. It develops and invests in fast-growing companies with a proven concept, allowing them to grow faster by drawing on the funding, support and expertise of RTL Nederland. The RTL Ventures portfolio includes dating site Pepper, restaurant booking system Couverts, online fashion platform Miinto (joint venture with Miinto International), online educational program Squla and online education provider Dutch Learning Company (also known for its first aid course iedereenEHBO).

About Couverts
Couverts is the leading digital restaurant booking service in the Netherlands. In addition to the restaurant booking portal Couverts.nl and apps for both guests and entrepreneurs, Couverts provides the most intelligent digital reservation book for restaurants in the Dutch market. Couverts also offers marketing opportunities such as the Couverts Dinner Weeks. More than 2,000 restaurants use the booking system. In 2014 over 10 million seats were booked through Couverts.