Digital Window's international partnership with Axel Springer and PubliGroupe

Axel Springer, the German-based media group, and PubliGroupe, the Swiss-headquartered marketing services company have together acquired a 50.1% equity interest in Digital Window, the award-winning UK affiliate marketing network. Arrowpoint Advisory advised Digital Window's shareholders on the transaction.

This transaction continues Axel Springer's partnership with PubliGroupe as the two companies already own Zanox, the online marketing services provider based in Berlin.

Digital Window enables more than 850 advertisers to market their goods and services through more than 80,000 online publishers. The company earns a commission for every successful transaction completed via its platform. Among its biggest customers are Dixons Store Group, Nike and Vodafone. The company has seen significant profitable growth for more than seven years, with annual sales in excess of €40 million for its 2008/2009 financial year.

The combination with Axel Springer and PubliGroupe will give Digital Window the perfect platform to extend its service offering to its merchant and publisher partners and to expand its business outside of the UK.

Kevin Brown, co-founder and CEO of Digital Window, will continue to manage the company said: The team at Arrowpoint Advisory provided us with real value add throughout and their advice and guidance was absolutely first rate, as was their commitment to delivering the right deal for us.”

Richard Fetterman, Managing Director at Arrowpoint Advisory added: The deal was a fantastic one to work on as Digital Window is a leading player in an exciting sector and Axel Springer and PubliGroupe are blue-chip European media companies. The deal has also served to strengthen further our credentials in the online marketing services space.”

“We are delighted to be able to announce this transaction at what is a challenging point in the economic cycle. Arrowpoint Advisory's London team has now advised on 12 transactions so far this year and this deal reinforces our view that good quality businesses in strategic sectors can command the interest of first rate purchasers and investors.”

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