Verdane Funds acquire portfolio of ten internet companies from Aggregate Media

Verdane Capital Advisors is one of the prominent investment advisors in e-commerce and the leading advisor in portfolio transactions (i.e. secondary directs) in the Nordics. Verdane Capital Advisors plans to use its deep knowledge of e-commerce to develop the ten new companies by, for example, expanding geographically, streamlining logistics, improving user interfaces and enhancing pricing and product line strategies. Verdane funds have been investing in e-commerce since the mid 2000s and have seen success in recently realised companies such as LensOn and Compricer.

“Geographic expansion is often a natural evolution for e-commerce companies that Verdane funds acquire. In many companies it is, however, just as important to focus on core products and not fall for the temptation of broadening the offering too much” says Staffan Mörndal, Partner at Verdane Capital Advisors. ”Because Verdane funds have invested in over 25 e-commerce companies we can go in on day one with lists of over 100 points to help the companies find the right expansion strategy.”

The transaction with Aggregate Media is a good example of how Verdane can unlock value by providing sector expertise and capital to a number of assets at once. Aggregate Media gives companies media space in exchange for company ownership, but does not have the scope to make follow-on capital investments. Verdane can provide liquidity for several assets at once and is hence an attractive buyer. In turn, Verdane can cherry pick assets from a broad portfolio and select companies in which it can make the most significant impact.

“We are very pleased to be closing this transaction with Verdane funds. We know that the companies are in a phase where they can benefit tremendously from Verdane Capital Advisors’ broad knowledge within e-commerce” says Patrik Rosén, CEO at Aggregate Media.