Media and Games Invest: Acquisition of Smaato and updated guidance - Edison

Following the KingsIsle transaction in January 2021, Media and Games Invest (MGI) has announced a second transformational deal – the cash acquisition of Smaato (a mobile-first adtech platform) for €140m, 10.7x FY21e EBITDA. The transaction adds scale to MGI’s existing adtech platform, Verve, and brings new capabilities, particularly in mobile web and web programmatic advertising. Smaato’s adj. EBITDA margin (FY20: 25%) will significantly strengthen Verve’s margins (FY20: 9%). Management has raised the group’s FY21 revenue guidance to €234–254m and adj. EBITDA guidance to €65–70m. At the midpoint, the implied valuation of 16.1x EV/FY21 adj. EBITDA remains in line with peers, despite superior growth. The transaction is to be funded from existing cash resources and expected to complete in Q321, with €12.7m held over and payable in March 2022. Leverage remains within management’s target range of 2–3x adj. EBITDA.

https://www.edisongroup.com/publication/acquisition-of-smaato-and-updated-guidance/29726