CentralNic Group Plc (LON:CNIC), the global internet platform that derives recurring revenue from marketplaces for online presence and online marketing services, has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire M.A Aporia Ltd. for an initial consideration of USD 11.2m in cash subject to customary adjustments for net cash and working capital from Aporia’s founders.
Aporia is a technology company operating in the fields of social media and native advertising. In 20211, Aporia generated revenue of USD 35m, gross profit of USD 3.5m and EBITDA USD 2m. The Acquisition is part of a larger vertical integration strategy, providing the Group’s Online Marketing segment with more direct access to high quality traffic to monetise.
The acquisition will be immediately earnings accretive. As Aporia is an exclusive supplier to CentralNic, the transaction will increase CentralNic’s gross margin and EBITDA margin but have no immediate impact on revenue. Under the terms of the agreement, the sellers of Aporia may earn up to another USD 7.8m payable over a performance period until and including 2024.
Ben Crawford, CEO of CentralNic Group, said “Disintermediating the value chain holds enormous potential to create a more efficient ecosystem in CentralNic’s Online Marketing business, removing transaction costs and friction losses. This acquisition represents a major step forward in our disintermediation strategy, creating more value for CentralNic, as well as for the users of our customer acquisition and traffic monetization services.”
1 Financial information relating to Aporia is based upon audited annual accounts.
