The digital experience software space saw its latest billion-dollar private equity investment this week. Insight Venture Partners acquired Episerver in a deal valued at $1.16 billion, according to an Episerver press release.
Insight Venture Partners is a New York City-based global private equity firm focused on high-growth investments in the technology sector. Episerver is a software company that offers technology to support digital experiences, including a web content management system. In 2014 Episerver acquired CMS provider Ektron in a move supported by investor Accel-KKR.
The digital experience software space has now seen three major billion-dollar, private-equity acquisitions since 2016:
- April 2016: EQT acquires Sitecore for $1.14 billion.
- May 2016: Vista Equity Partners acquires Marketo for $1.65 billion.
- Sept. 2018: Insight Venture Partners acquires Episerver for $1.16 billion.
- Apollo Global Management bought Rackspace Hosting for $4.3 billion in August 2016.
- Thoma Bravo bought Qlik for $3 billion August 2016 and Lexmark's Software Business in May 2017.
- Vista Equity Partners acquired Lithium in May 2017, as well as Ping Identity for $600 million in June 2016, Xactly for $564 million in May 2017 and Cvent for $1.65 billion in April 2016.
Lithium Merges with Spredfast
Speaking of private-equity moves, Vista Equity Partners has merged Lithium Technologies with Spredfast. According to company officials, the combination of Lithium and Spredfast will create the industry’s "most comprehensive customer engagement platform." Vista Equity Partners acquired Lithium in 2017.
The partnership leads to a combined customer base of more than 2,000 brands spanning 100 countries and the management of more than 500 million consumer touch points every day across social media, messaging and owned digital channels, company officials said. Lithium’s customer care offerings will combine with Spredfast’s social marketing services.
Demandbase Updates Targeting Solution
Demandbase, which provides an account-based marketing (ABM) platform, this week unveiled its next-generation Targeting Solution. Company officials said in a press release the solution leverages artificial intelligence (AI)-powered intent data. It is designed to more accurately identify and reach target buying committees. It gives users insights on accounts, opportunities and deals, beyond just impressions and clicks. Demandbase’s Targeting Solution is offered in a subscription-based model. Company officials said the solution processes more than 150 billion intent signals each month.
The Targeting Solution is part of the Demandbase ABM Platform. The platform, according to company officials, is designed to identify the best-fit accounts, engages them through advertising and website personalization, delivers account-based insights to sales teams and measures progress across a company’s campaigns and target accounts.
Monetate Partners with Mobile1st
Monetate, which provides personalization technology, and Mobile1st, a mobile conversion rate optimization services company, have announced a partnership designed to help increase marketing effectiveness and conversions for small to midsize organizations. The partnership includes the Monetate Test and Segment solution for ecommerce brands.
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Mobile1st's mobile and conversion rate optimization will couple with Monetate technology, according to company officials. Mobile1st was already a certified Monetate partner. It will resell and service the Monetate Test and Segment solution to organizations with five million or fewer annual unique visitors (AUV). Users can leverage Monetate’s AI-optimized testing and segmentation solution.
Magnolia CMS Launches New Capabilities
Swiss web CMS vendor Magnolia has released new content capabilities and also announced partnerships with Siteimprove and Spryker aimed at reinforcing its abilities to deliver experience-driven commerce, company officials announced in a press release.
Magnolia’s new capabilities include:
- Personalization.
- Engagement optimization.
New partner Siteimprove will bring a plugin that allows users of Magnolia CMS to integrate Siteimprove’s tools that help improve SEO, web analytics and content quality. New partner Spryker brings a modular commerce approach.
LogMeIn Brings New UI to GoToWebinar
LogMeIn has launched a redesigned user interface for webinar organizers on the platform GoToWebinar. The redesign aims to give customers access to a mobile-responsive layout, easier onboarding and in-product tips and tricks. It also features a new analytics dashboard and a full suite of integrations including those with marketing automation and CRM systems such as AWeber, Hubspot, Unbounce, Zapier and more.
