A strengthening in the e-commerce activity, with the acquisition of a strartup capable of making the publication of product offers on large marketplaces fluid and optimal in the results: Amazon, Ebay, Aliexpress, ManoMano, Privalia, Zalando , ePrice, Wish and other marketplaces in some of the main European countries (Italy, Germany, Sweden, Holland, France, Spain and Poland), with the aim of opening shortly also in South America and the Middle East.
The purchase operation
Digitouch – listed on AIM and independent player in Italy active in digital marketing, specialized in “Mar-Tech”, or in marketing and communication technologies to support sales in an omnichannel perspective – has announced that it has signed a binding agreement for the acquisition of the innovative startup Ondeal, owner of the 4Deal marketplace management platform, «able to connect products of different brands with millions of consumers on the main European marketplaces, managing orders, operations and consultancy».
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An outlay of 1.2 million
Ondeal, the press release continues, closed 2020 with revenues of around 2 million and reached the budget breakeven. Digitouch intends to acquire 100% of the share capital of Ondeal from the sellers. The purchase will take place in 3 phases as follows: 578 thousand euros at the first closing through the acquisition from the sellers of a shareholding equal to 90.38% of the share capital, 320 thousand euros within 9 months of the first closing, through a capital increase reserved for the ” outcome of which Digitouch will be the owner of a further stake equal to 3.67%, while the third phase to gain total control of the company involves the purchase of the residual 5.96% for a consideration of up to 290 thousand euros based on performance income in 2023 (revenues of around 8 million and EBITDA margin between 7 and 10%).
Growing business unit
So 1.2 million with an operation managed entirely with its own resources. «Based on our forecasts and market estimates – says Simone Ranucci Brandimarte, president of the Group with 39 million revenues in 2019 – we expect our e-commerce business unit to strengthen significantly over the next three years. The objective of this acquisition is to increase the turnover of our Group in an important way, to provide a new service in this segment to our more than 150 customers, in addition we are convinced that this is a highly enabling area to conquer new ones ».
The future linked to marketplaces
There is a particularly significant figure behind this strategic choice by Digitouch: at a European level, the percentage of e-commerce that passes through marketplaces has risen from 18% in 2010 to 42% in 2020. The future passes from here. From marketplaces and the ability to manage your presence strategically. A future that is closely linked to a growing complexity on the technological and marketing front. «These are precisely the strengths of our Group – underlines Simone Ranucci Brandimarte -. Our service proposal today is based on three pillars: marketing, technology and e-commerce which, with this acquisition, we are going to further expand ».