Aleph bought majority stake in Connect Ads
Aleph Holding, global partner to the world’s biggest digital media players, recently announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Connect Ads ( the acquisition of the 86% stake through a cash and swap structure is subject to final regulatory approval) – a digital media and advertising solutions provider specializing in the Middle East and Africa.
Aleph Holding’s family of brands help advertisers maximize the value of their investment, while serving as an extension to the leading players in digital media in 75 markets globally. The Connect Ads acquisition adds 15 markets (Egypt; Morocco; Tunisia; Algeria; Lebanon; Jordan; Saudi Arabia; Kuwait; Qatar; Bahrain; Oman; Pakistan; Turkey; UAE; and Italy) to this global portfolio – meaning Aleph now operates in a total of 90 markets. Recently Aleph confirmed a $2 billion valuation after private equity firm, CVC Capital Partners invested $470M for a minority stake in the company.
Connect Ads has successfully developed a presence in the Middle East and Africa for global digital media platforms such as Twitter, Spotify, TikTok, Verizon and LinkedIn. It also serves more than 600 brands and advertisers each quarter, with a comprehensive suite of solutions that cover all buying models and formats. The deal will accelerate Aleph’s acquisition of new partners in the region, as well as the expansion of solutions into the SMB market.
“The Middle East and Northern Africa represent an exciting range of regions for us,” explains Gastón Taratuta, Founder and CEO of Aleph Holding. “Within our business we’re passionate about unlocking the value of digital media in countries with 450M population and +100M unduplicated users in the platforms we represent – whether it’s for global brands or small family-run businesses, it doesn’t matter if you’re a start-up or a $billion company – digital media platforms democratise the opportunity to connect with and sell to your audiences. We trust Connect Ads’ leadership and execution, who have been operating in these markets since 1998 and we are joining together to democratise the use of core digital advertising tech products across the globe.”
“We work in an exciting region that is seeing consistent growth – with new partners entering the region, and a diverse set of advertisers investing across our solutions,” states Mohamed El-Mehairy, CEO of Connect Ads. “The Middle East in particular is set to see an acceleration in digital media buying. Next year Qatar will host the World Cup, reflecting enormous potential for expansion in the market. Backed by the scale we now have as part of Aleph, Connect Ads is ready to help the region capitalise on this opportunity.”
Aleph is the largest global digital media partner. In over 90 markets worldwide, it connects the biggest players in digital media with the advertisers that rely on them.
Aleph helps advertisers maximize the value of their investment through a complete service ecosystem – comprising innovative proprietary technology, digital expertise and deeply embedded local market knowledge. Its teams help brands to master the leading digital platforms, bringing them closer to their customers. These services are delivered through its portfolio of digital media service brands: IMS; Httpool; WISE.BLUE; Social Snack; and Ad Dynamo.