mynth
10/2018

LINK MOBILITY acquired by ABRY PARTNERS

NORWAY Software / MarTech EV 3b - 100b NOK

Context

In a landmark European tech transaction, Abry Partners, via its vehicle Victory Partners VIII Norway AS, has launched a recommended voluntary cash offer to acquire the entire issued share capital of LINK Mobility Group ASA. The transaction is structured as a public-to-private (P2P) takeover, with the board of directors of LINK Mobility providing a unanimous recommendation in favor of the deal. Notably, the transaction includes a substantial management roll-over, where key executive investors are reinvesting a portion of their holdings (representing 14.7% of the company) into the new holding structure. This alignment of interests, combined with pre-acceptances from institutional shareholders, secured approximately 54% of the share capital at the announcement date. This leveraged buyout is designed to provide LINK Mobility with the private capital and operational flexibility required to pursue a grander global scale. For Abry Partners, this acquisition serves as a strategic entry point into the European CPaaS market, providing a platform for further regional consolidation. The deal highlights the ongoing trend of US-based private equity firms seeking "alpha" in the European mid-market technology sector by targeting high-growth, mission-critical software platforms.

This platform was built through multiple acquisitions, including Sms Italia (2018) and Teracomm (2018), illustrating an active consolidation strategy.

LINK MOBILITY, which reported an EBITDA margin of in 2017, is valued in this transaction at an EV/EBITDA multiple of , representing a to the average currently observed in the TMT (Tech, Media, Telecom) sector (15.3x).

-> Deep-dive in TMT (Tech, Media, Telecom) market trends

Target

LINK Mobility Group ASA is a leading European provider of mobile messaging and Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) solutions. Headquartered in Oslo, the company facilitates seamless interaction between enterprises and their customers through a variety of mobile channels, including SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, and mobile payment services. By providing highly scalable Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), LINK Mobility enables businesses to automate customer engagement, deliver mission-critical notifications, and streamline mobile marketing campaigns across a diverse range of industries. Positioned as one of the fastest-growing companies in its sector, LINK Mobility holds a dominant market-leading position across Northern and Central Europe. The company has successfully executed a rapid consolidation strategy, acquiring numerous local players to build a formidable international footprint. Its business model is characterized by high transaction volumes and recurring revenue streams, supported by a specialized cloud infrastructure that ensures secure and reliable message delivery for over 20,000 corporate clients.

Ent. Value

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Historical Financials (NOK)

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Other operations with LINK MOBILITY

List of similar M&A transactions (Date, Acquirer, Target, Country, Sub-sector)
DateAcquirerTargetCountrySector
06/2021LINK MOBILITYMESSAGE BROADCASTUNITED STATESMarTech
02/2018LINK MOBILITYTERACOMMBULGARIAMarTech
01/2018LINK MOBILITYTOTALCONNECTITALYMarTech
01/2018LINK MOBILITYHORISEN MESSAGINGSWITZERLANDMarTech
01/2018LINK MOBILITYSMS ITALIAITALYOperators

REFERENCES

Valuation range: EV 3b - 100b NOK

Revenue range: 750M - 1.3b NOK

EBITDA range: 100M - 200M NOK

Note: This page provides detailed data on a private equity M&A transaction. Detailed and exact financial metrics for the acquisition of LINK MOBILITY by ABRY PARTNERS are reserved for mynth community members. Register for free to unlock full data.

Authors: This transaction was contributed by a verified mynth contributor and cross-checked against available transaction documents and official company communications.

Press release: view release

Target: link mobility

Acquirer: abry partners