MCF acted as Financial Advisor to Ilkka Group on the acquisition of Profinder
Ilkka Oyj (“Ilkka Group”), a leading Finnish media services, and marketing and technology services group, has acquired Rootfon Oy (“Profinder”) from Juuri Partners and other shareholders. Through this transaction, Ilkka Group complements its existing marketing services and technology offering by the addition of B2B and B2C target group data services, further implementing its declared strategy.
In this technology transaction, MCF advised Ilkka Group and helped facilitate the deal through its proven ability to successfully execute strategic buy-side transactions.
The Deal
Ilkka Group’s business areas include media services, and marketing and technology services. In recent years, Ilkka Group has focused on expanding its marketing services and technology business, as this transaction further emphasises. As a result of this strategic acquisition, Ilkka expands its existing offering of marketing and technology services to also include sales intelligence and target group data services. This acquisition is in line with Ilkka’s strategy.
The Target
Profinder, established in 2017, is a leading Finnish provider of B2B and B2C target group data for sales and marketing organizations. The company offers a SaaS-based data platform for corporate clients where the client company’s sales and marketing professionals can filter business & decision-maker information and create detailed target groups. In recent years and under the ownership of Juuri Partners, Profinder has successfully managed to develop its offering from a more services focused business to a SaaS-based business model, which has been received well by customers. Based on pro forma consolidated financials, in 2023, Profinder generated revenue of EUR 5.9m and EBITDA of EUR 0.7m. In YTD 9/2024, the company has generated EUR 5.1m in revenue and EUR 1.9m in EBITDA, demonstrating a significant increase in profitability.
About Ilkka Oyj
Information unites the clients, the readers, and the businesses of Ilkka. Liana, Evermade, MySome, Myynninmaailma, and Profinder operate together as Summa Collective, offering marketing-, technology-, and data services. I-Mediat Oy publishes the regional news media Ilkka-Pohjalainen and city- and local news media. The group employs 500 talented marketing, technology, and media professionals.
About Juuri Partners
Juuri Partners is a Finnish private equity firm focused on supporting growth and development in small and medium-sized companies. Juuri Partners targets Finnish growth focused companies with annual revenues of EUR 5m to 150m. Key investment scenarios include accelerating organic growth, supporting strategic initiatives, enabling succession planning, and driving operational improvements.
