Cowgills corporate finance team has advised Ampersand, a specialist in eCommerce transformation, on its sale to digital heavyweight IDHL, following private equity investment from Bridgepoint Development Capital.
Manchester-based Ampersand specialises in technical solutions that look beyond the website to relieve growth-limiting operational pain points for leading eCommerce brands including Selco, Swoon and Seraphine.
Commenting on completing this latest deal in the digital sector, Cowgills partner Sam Davies who led the negotiations, together with associate director Brad Seekings, said: “As part of a wider Group Ampersand will be well positioned to provide a greater service offering to its client base and to achieve its growth ambitions. We are seeing a strong appetite from private equity investors in digital companies and Ampersand’s acquisition is testament to the continued strength of this sector.”
This latest acquisition closely follows IDHL’s recent addition of luxury eCommerce agency, Fostr, extending the collaboration opportunity across the Group’s wider web division which also comprises of eCommerce agencies Pinpoint and Statement alongside web digital transformation experts, NetConstruct.
Following the acquisition, Darryl Adie will continue to lead Ampersand, along with managing director Brett Cooper, working in close collaboration with IDHL’s leadership team to integrate and grow the business as part of the network of agencies.
Darryl Adie, Ampersand CEO, said: “We are grateful to Cowgills corporate finance team for their advice and guidance and helping us to successfully conclude the sale to IDHL. We are really excited to be joining the IDHL Group and the opportunities it will bring to the Ampersand team and our customers. We look forward to accelerating the work and achievements of the Ampersand team to date with the Group’s support.”
Harrogate-based IDHL is quickly establishing itself as a northern powerhouse with the connected agency group now employing circa. 400 people across its nine specialist agencies in prominent digital cities including Leeds, Manchester and London.
The backing of Bridgepoint Development Capital, provides IDHL with significant funding along with international support to enable the Group to further expand its capabilities and reach to better serve its ever-growing client base both here in the UK and internationally.
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