Platinum-backed Cision buys Brandwatch for $450m

Cision, which provides news distribution, media monitoring and analysis to more than 75,000 customers, was acquired by Platinum for $2.7bn in 2019. The company will finance the deal via cash and shares.

Brandwatch raised around $65m over three funding rounds from investors including Partech Ventures, Highland Europe and Nauta Capital.

The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021.

Company
Founded in 2007 and based in Brighton, Brandwatch is a B2B provider of digital consumer intelligence, allowing users to analyse and utilise conversations from across the web and social media. According to its website, it has over 500 employees and generated a turnover of £75.4m in 2020. 

People
Cision - Abel Clark (CEO).
Brandwatch - Giles Palmer (founder, CEO).

Advisers
Company - Macquarie Capital (financial adviser); Cooley (legal).
Equity - Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (legal); Willkie Farr & Gallagher (legal); Latham & Watkins (legal).

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