Datawords welcomes new partners to accelerate its global growth strategy

May 4, 2020
Europe

Datawords today welcomed new investors to reach a new stage in its development and accelerate its international growth strategy. This strengthening of Datawords’ capacities will help to foster the recognition of e-Multiculturalism, the discipline pioneered by Datawords, with premium European, American and Asian brands. Datawords thus affirms its goal of becoming the world leader in the international deployment of digital strategies. This new group of investors is led by Cathay Capital along with Keensight Capital, and with the support of Bpifrance. Capzanine, who has been an investor since 2011, also renewed his confidence.

Datawords, which celebrated its fifteenth anniversary last June, has pioneered the innovative discipline of e-Multiculturalism, which allows premium brands to streamline the international deployment of their online marketing strategies. Dedicated to adapting digital content to the cultural specificities of local markets, Datawords has significant market share across the following key business areas: localization of websites and e-marketing content, international deployment of advertising banner campaigns, global optimization of search engine, online referencing and social media (SEO, SEM and SMO), as well as and the production of multicultural video content (following the acquisition of Digiprod in 2014).

Having recorded sustained double-digit growth since inception, Datawords generated over 30 million Euros in revenues in 2014, 70% of which outside its domestic market in France. Employing 320 people from varied multicultural backgrounds, Datawords has a broad geographic presence, with hubs in France, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and the USA. Datawords has become today a trusted partner for a wide range of prestigious clients in a wide range of sectors (such as L’Oreal, Seb, Audi, Clarins, Total, etc.)

With the active support of this new investment group, Datawords will leverage its high-quality and unique product and service offering in order to accelerate its international development, with a particular focus on international brands based in North America, through the New York office opened last year, and Asia, through the fast-growing Tokyo office and projects in mainland China. The company’s strategic development plan will take into account as much organic as external growth drivers.

Alexandre Crazover, Co-Founder and CEO of Datawords, declared: “Our company begins a new and exciting stage of its growth story today, which we would label as Datawords 3.0. We are delighted to welcome investors with specific expertise in our core geographies and who understand our main business areas perfectly. We are pleased to be working closely with Cathay again, who since our previous partnership has grown in parallel to us and now offers a unique platform connecting ecosystems in Europe, the United States and Asia. We are equally excited to have the teams of Keensight Capital joining us with their strong sector expertise and experience of growth strategies. We would also like to thank Capzanine, who has been with us since 2011 and has decided to keep working with us”

Mingpo Cai, President of Cathay Capital Private Equity, stated: “Having previously partnered with Datawords and their talented managers at an earlier stage of the company’s and Cathay’s development, we are thrilled to be able to build on the strong foundations already established and to help Datawords implement its cross-border growth strategy. Alongside the management of Datawords and our partners Keensight Capital and Bpifrance, we share a strong conviction in the importance of appreciating local conditions when expanding across different geographies, and we will help Datawords boost its global growth going forward.”

Philippe Crochet, Partner at Keensight Capital, added: “We are impatient to play our part in helping Datawords succeed in the next steps of its development, as the company looks to expand its positions internationally in high-potential markets with major brands. We will leverage our expertise and experience in helping fast-growing, profitable businesses to help the company’s talented and ambitious management team achieve the goals its has defined.”

Alexandre Ossola, Director with the Mid & Large Cap department of Bpifrance Investissement goes on: “We are happy to accompany Datawords’ international development alongside our partners Cathay Capital and Keensight. This investment fully illustrates our strategy to assist and support French-based companies in the new growth markets.

Press contacts
Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Yoann Besse / Aliénor Miens / Dominic Riding

[email protected] – Tel : +33 (0)1 53 32 78 89 / +33 (0)6 63 03 84 91

Bpifrance : Nathalie Police – [email protected] – Tel : +33 (0) 1 41 79 95 26

Capzanine : Sonia Pensarini – [email protected] – Tel : +33(0)1 42 60 38 05

 

About Datawords

Founded in 2000, Datawords is the pioneer of e-Multiculturalism, discipline that allows optimizing and accelerating the international deployment of a digital strategy. Managed by four founding partners under the leadership of Alexandre Crazover, Datawords is established in France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and the United States. Datawords marks itself out through its multiculturalism and the atypical backgrounds of its 320 employees who represent around forty nationalities and who speak around fifty languages. In 2014, Datawords achieved a turnover of 30 million Euros.

www.datawords.com

About Cathay Capital Private Equity

Cathay Capital Private Equity, founded by Mingpo Cai and Edouard Moinet in Paris in 2006, is the leading global middle-market, private equity firm created by Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs. As an expert in creating value through cross-border investments in Europe, China and North America, Cathay Capital is fully dedicated to helping its portfolio company management teams focus on growth and succeed beyond their home base. Cathay’s unique platform on three continents – and offices currently located in Shanghai, Beijing, New York and Paris – as well as its multicultural team including thirty investment professionals, enables the firm to locally accelerate cross-border growth strategies through its broad local ecosystems.

To date, Cathay Capital has invested in 40 companies across the world and completed 14 exits, with over 900 million Euros under management.

www.cathay.fr

 

About Keensight Capital

Keensight Capital is a leading European Growth Private Equity firm managing funds backed by European institutional investors. Keensight Capital targets first-class international projects to finance organic growth or build-up strategies, or to cash out existing shareholders. Specific sectors of interest include Information Technology, Healthcare, and Energy. In each of these sectors, our team provides insights and expertise through its entrepreneurial and operational background and its access to a worldwide network built over the past 15 years.

www.keensightcapital.com

About Bpifrance

Bpifrance, a subsidiary of the French state and the Caisse des Dépôts and the entrepreneurs’ trusted partner, finances businesses from the seed phase to IPO, through loans, guarantees and equity investments. Bpifrance also provides operational services and strong support for innovation, export, and external growth in parnertship with Business France and Coface.

With over 40 regional offices, Bpifrance represents a powerful, close and efficient representative for businesses, to answer all their needs in terms of financing, innovation and investment.

www.Bpifrance.fr  – Follow us: @Bpifrance

About Capzanine

Founded in 2004, Capzanine is an independent investment fund and a pioneer in combined equity and private debt investments. It supports businesses in their quest for growth, providing financial and industrial expertise to help them successfully achieve their development and transfer phases. Depending on the circumstances, Capzanine invests as a majority or minority shareholder and/or as private debt provider in small and mid-cap companies with an enterprise value of 20 million to 400 million euros. Based in Paris and run by its partners, Capzanine currently has € 1.1 billion in assets under management. Its portfolio includes companies such as Cérélia, Alvest, Questel, Carrera, Marle, DGF, Opteven, Neoxam, Le Be?lier…

www.capzanine.com