Summit Partners and TA Associates have signed definitive documentation to invest USD350 million to recapitalize online gaming platform specialist Bigpoint and position the company for continued strong global growth.
“The investment by TA Associates and Summit Partners is a validation of Bigpoint’s leadership position within the gaming industry, and will give us a huge boost toward becoming one of the most successful gaming companies worldwide,” says Heiko Hubertz, CEO and Founder of Bigpoint. "Summit Partners and TA Associates are supporting Bigpoint’s international expansion — a course we set out upon in recent months with the opening of new offices in the United States and Brazil. I’m looking forward to a future partnership of mutual trust and cooperation.”
TA Associates and Summit Partners jointly will own a controlling share of Bigpoint. Previous shareholder Comcast Interactive Capital’s Peacock Equity Fund will sell their holdings in this transaction. GMT Communications Partners and GE will sell a majority of their stakes with GMT set to realise a 4x return on its initial investment inBigPoint. Hubertz will retain his existing ownership stake.
“Regarding myself, I kept my share,” says Hubertz. “I see the potential in Bigpoint to exceed a value of one billion dollars and become the top online gaming company in the world.” Added Hubertz, “Our thanks go to GMT Communications Partners and Peacock Equity Fund for three very exciting years. Their support has seen the company rapidly grow during this period.”
Megumi Ikeda, Executive Director, Comcast Interactive Capital, says: "We received an excellent return on our initial investment. While we are selling our share, we are very optimistic about Bigpoint’s future and are continuing our operational relationship with them at NBC Universal."
Bigpoint is one of the leading companies in online games that can be played directly in the browser. With more than 185 million registered users, the company has a varied portfolio of internationally successful and recognized games and brands, including Battlestar Galactica Online,FarmeramaandDarkOrbit. The company’s over 700 employees are currently working on the next generation of gaming with upcoming blockbusters such as The Mummy Online, RamaCity and Drakensang Online. Bigpoint has offices in Hamburg, Berlin, San Francisco, São Paolo and Malta.
John Meeks, a Managing Director at TA Associates, says: “We look forward to making this investment in Bigpoint alongside Summit Partners. With a highly scalable platform, revenues diversified across numerous games and multiple geographies, and a highly attractive free-to-play model, we anticipate significant continued growth for Bigpoint.”
