CVC and TA to partner with Mediaocean and fuel growth of global omnichannel advertising platform

NEW YORK, NY – August 31, 2021 – Mediaocean, the leading global omnichannel advertising platform, today announced an investment from funds advised by CVC Capital Partners (“CVC”), along with TA Associates (“TA”), who are acquiring the stake in the company held by Vista Equity Partners.

As a leader in global advertising technology, Mediaocean helps the world’s top agencies and marketers manage $200 billion in annualized media spend. CVC and TA are committed to investing in Mediaocean’s omnichannel platform, serving as an industry system of record with trusted, independent solutions for media management, intelligence, and finance. In July, Mediaocean announced its acquisition of Flashtalking, adding capabilities for primary ad serving, creative personalization, identity management, and fraud prevention.

The investment from funds advised by CVC and TA will continue accelerating growth and driving innovation at Mediaocean, which included its acquisition of 4C last year and continued in March with the transformational launch of a new product model. By unifying its core offering from a range of best-in-class software products into a modern, omnichannel platform, Mediaocean is enabling its customers to achieve business outcomes more efficiently and effectively. The company was recently recognized as a 2021 Gartner Peer Insights Customer’s Choice for Ad Tech and ranked first in advertising technology for Ad Age Best Places to Work 2021.

“As Mediaocean enters its next phase of growth with CVC and TA, we are doubling down on our global omnichannel advertising platform,” said Bill Wise, CEO at Mediaocean. “Now, more than ever, agencies and their clients need an independent, open, and neutral operating system to manage media investment and grow their businesses. Mediaocean stands ready to deliver on the needs of the industry and help marketers market the way consumers consume – seamlessly across all channels at all times.”

“Mediaocean, with the recently announced acquisitions of 4C and Flashtalking, has positioned itself as the leader in providing integrated tools and analytics to ensure marketers maximize returns on ad dollars,” said Chris Colpitts, Partner at CVC. “We have been impressed by what Mediaocean has achieved to date and are delighted to partner with the management team to accelerate investment in its modern omnichannel platform.”

Chris Baldwin, Managing Partner at CVC added, “We are committed to building a dynamic customer-facing organization and we strongly believe helping agencies and marketers navigate the increasingly complex digital advertising landscape is critical to success. We look forward to supporting Mediaocean in working to achieve this.”

“With the rise of big tech, brands and agencies are placing more trust in Mediaocean to be the steward for their media buys,” said Jonathan Meeks, Managing Director at TA. “Through our investment in Flashtalking, we’ve seen firsthand the impact that a scaled, independent ad tech platform can have in putting buyers in control and improving campaign performance. As the companies come together, we believe that Mediaocean is primed to deliver even better results for its customers and we’re excited to help fuel further growth.”

“Over the past six years, the Mediaocean team has worked tremendously hard to scale the business into what it is today – a core media management platform to power the world of advertising,” said Michael Fosnaugh, Co-Head of the Flagship Fund and Senior Managing Director at Vista. “Today’s media landscape is ripe with opportunity for a pivotal technology provider like Mediaocean and we wish Bill and the entire team continued success with CVC and TA.”

The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2021, subject to customary closing conditions including receipt of required regulatory approvals. White & Case acted as legal advisor for CVC. Goodwin Procter acted as legal advisor for TA. Macquarie Capital and Nomura provided committed acquisition financing for the transaction.

About Mediaocean
Mediaocean is the mission-critical platform for omnichannel advertising. With more than $200 billion in annualized media spend managed through its software, Mediaocean connects brands, agencies, media, technology, and data. Using AI and machine learning technology to control marketing investments and optimize business outcomes, Mediaocean powers campaigns from planning, buying, and selling to analysis, invoices, and payments. Mediaocean employs 1,500 staff across 30 global offices and supports over 100,000 people using its products. Visit www.mediaocean.cn for more information.

About CVC
CVC is a leading private equity and investment advisory firm with a network of 24 offices throughout Europe, Asia and the US, with US$115 billion of assets under management. Since its founding in 1981, CVC has secured commitments in excess of US$162 billion from some of the world’s leading institutional investors across its private equity and credit strategies. Funds managed or advised by CVC are invested in over 90 companies worldwide, which have combined annual sales of approximately US$100 billion and employ more than 440,000 people. For further information about CVC please visit: www.cvc.com.

About TA Associates
TA is a leading global growth private equity firm. Focused on targeted sectors within five industries – technology, healthcare, financial services, consumer and business services – the firm invests in profitable, growing companies with opportunities for sustained growth, and has invested in more than 550 companies around the world. Investing as either a majority or minority investor, TA employs a long-term approach, utilizing its strategic resources to help management teams build lasting value in high quality growth companies. TA has raised $47.5 billion in capital since its founding in 1968 and is committing to new investments at the pace of over $3 billion per year. The firm’s more than 100 investment professionals are based in Boston, Menlo Park, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong. More information about TA can be found at www.ta.com.

About Vista Equity Partners
Vista is a leading global investment firm with more than $77 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2021. The firm exclusively invests in enterprise software, data and technology-enabled organizations across private equity, permanent capital, credit, and public equity strategies, bringing an approach that prioritizes creating enduring market value for the benefit of its global ecosystem of investors, companies, customers and employees. Vista’s investments are anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions and proven, flexible management techniques that drive sustainable growth. Vista believes the transformative power of technology is the key to an even better future – a healthier planet, a smarter economy, a diverse and inclusive community and a broader path to prosperity. Further information is available at vistaequitypartners.com. Follow Vista on LinkedIn, @Vista Equity Partners, and on Twitter, @Vista_Equity.

• Press Release