Next15 Buys Incubator Business Mach49

Digital marcoms group Next15 has acquired Silicon Valley-based growth incubator Mach49, which it will use as the cornerstone of its previously announced plans to create a $100m innovation business, working alongside its data, tech and brand marketing firms. Terms were not disclosed.

Next 15 employs more than 1,800 people across 42 offices in fourteen countries, incorporating nineteen subsidiary agencies spanning digital content, marketing, PR, consumer, technology, marketing software, market research, public affairs and policy communications. Its data and insights group Savanta was set up last year from its four data and insight businesses, and now includes research specialists Future Thinking; Creston Plc US Holdings Inc and its subsidiary Health Unlimited; and ComRes.

Mach49, which specializes in creating and launching new ventures, joins the Next15 portfolio with annual revenues of approximately $13m, and offices in Silicon Valley, Boston, London and Singapore. Led by a group of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and C-Suite executives, it helps global businesses tap into their existing talent, assets and customers to build their own incubators and growth engines and bring new ventures to market. Linda Yates (pictured), the company's founder and CEO, says her team see themselves as co-founders not consultants, helping clients unleash their strengths to build their growth engines.

Tim Dyson, CEO of Next 15 comments: 'There is tremendous pressure within large businesses to innovate and transform to meet the world's challenges, as well as to fight market disruption from VC-backed start-ups. Combining Next15's experience with high growth Silicon-Valley companies and Mach49's expertise in creating and launching new ventures, incubators and corporate venture capital funds will give us a unique service offering for global businesses to build and scale resilient new go-to-market ventures'.

Web sites: www.next15.com and www.mach49.com .