GP Bullhound has acted as exclusive financial advisor to Jellyfish on the strategic investment by Fimalac Group which will also see Tradelab (part of Fimalac Group) integrated into Jellyfish. The deal will put the value of the new enlarged Jellyfish at circa GBP500 million.
Founded in the UK in 2005, Jellyfish has grown at 45 per cent per annum over the last eight years and today employs 780 staff in 23 offices across the world. It has established itself a one of a select few globally managed Google Marketing Partners and is a global digital partner to leading brands including Uber, Ebay, Spotify, Ford and Aviva.
The deal will see data-driven specialist Tradelab, a leading programmatic buyer in Europe and a web analytics and optimisation expert, integrated into Jellyfish. Comprising 300 global experts, Tradelab has 120 specialists dedicated to technology, innovation and development alone and is a Google Marketing Partner. In addition to Jellyfish’s integrated offering, which blends data, creative and media buying, Tradelab’s technologies will enhance the company’s value proposition across Google’s platforms.
Rob Pierre, CEO of Jellyfish, says: “Building a digital business that is fit for the 21st century means adding technology, consultancy and training to agency services, and on top of this, delivering them at scale. This deal marks the beginning of an exciting new phase in the Jellyfish story. We see GP Bullhound as the leading global dealmaker in the digital services arena and they were invaluable in delivering this transaction for us.”
Simon Nicholls, Partner at GP Bullhound, says: “This is the largest marketing services transaction in Europe this year and creates a new digital challenger of scale on the global stage. It’s a remarkable success story for a business that was a UK start-up in 2005 and we are delighted to have advised Jellyfish on this landmark transaction.”
