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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Just months after selling its health division, digital media company Catalina has agreed to be acquired by investment firm Berkshire Partners LLC.
Just months after selling its health division, digital media company Catalina has agreed to be acquired by investment firm Berkshire Partners LLC.
Under the agreement, Berkshire plans to buy majority control of Catalina from private equity firm Hellman & Friedman LLC, Catalina’s parent. Financial terms weren’t disclosed when the deal was announced Monday, but Catalina said Hellman & Friedman will remain "a significant investor."
Catalina’s personalized digital media help retailers and suppliers of consumer packaged goods (CPG) drive purchases and foster loyalty via mobile, online and in-store networks. The company boasts the world’s largest shopper history database.
"We believe this transaction is an affirmation of Catalina’s growth outlook, strategy and leadership team," stated Jamie Egasti, chief executive officer of Catalina, which plans to continue expanding its team of 1,350 employees worldwide, including operations in St. Petersburg, Fla., as well as Boston, Chicago, Paris and Tokyo. "We’ll continue our investments in talent, technology and data science to drive innovations that will further enable our clients to engage and delight consumers."
Egasti added, "We’ve enjoyed a successful partnership with Hellman & Friedman and look forward to our next chapter of growth with Berkshire Partners."
Currently, Catalina reaches 350 million global shoppers each month. After being acquired by Hellman & Friedman in 2007, Catalina initiated a growth plan that transformed the company from a grocery channel coupon provider to an omnichannel digital media platform. Catalina said it expanded its digital network by forming strategic partnerships with such retailers as Target and Walgreens; entered a joint venture with Nielsen to create BuyerGraphic media targeting for television and online advertising; and launched mobile and online promotion and advertising solutions.
"We are attracted to Catalina’s unique ability to translate shopper data into personalized media at mass scale," commented Brad Bloom, a managing director at Boston-based Berkshire Partners. "We look forward to working alongside Catalina’s leadership team to accelerate their capacity to serve the world’s leading CPG retailers and brands."
At the end of October, Catalina announced the sale of its Catalina Health division to inVentiv Health. Catalina noted at the time that the sale marked the another move to sharpen its focus on CPG retailers and brands. In addition to the 2012 acquisition of in-store mobile commerce innovator Modiv Media, Catalina acquired software assets from Chicago-based Local Offer Network. Catalina said both additions are aimed at driving innovation and accelerating product development as the company expands its omnichannel personalized media capabilities.
"We remain strong believers in Catalina’s vision, people and ability to drive innovations to capitalize on this incredible market opportunity," stated Philip Hammarskjold, CEO of Hellman & Friedman. "The company is well-positioned as the leading personalized digital media platform for CPG, and we are excited to continue our partnership with Catalina for years to come."
