Catapult Advisors’ Customer Experience Practice Gains Momentum

SAN FRANCISCO - April 23, 2014 - PRLog -- SAN FRANCISCO, April 22, 2014 — Catapult Advisors LLC, an investment bank serving leading software and internet companies, announced today that it acted as exclusive financial advisor on three recently completed transactions in the customer experience (CX) market.  Catapult’s clients on these three deals are leaders in the sectors of Marketing Automation, Social Brand Engagement and Social Commerce Analytics.

The recent flurry of transactions is attributable in large part to Catapult’s early and active commitment to the CX space. Catapult’s CX efforts are led by Byron Bardy, who joined the firm as a Partner from Adobe in the summer of 2012. “Our original thesis on the accelerating M&A activity within CX has been validated by the aggressive M&A activity of CX leaders such as Oracle, Adobe and Salesforce.  We expect continued consolidation by these companies as well as several other emerging players actively building out a CX platform for the Chief Marketing Officer,” said Bardy.

Customer Experience Focus
Catapult is committed to maintaining its focused effort in CX, as the market shows no signs of slowing down. “We are now in the early stages of the ‘age of the customer’ – businesses large and small need to understand how customers think, feel and act toward their products and services,” said Catapult Managing Partner Ron Lissak.  “In addition to the exciting evolution that is well underway across the Marketing and Social sectors, we foresee a second wave of innovation within the Analytics, Customer Service and Sales Intelligence segments of the CX market opportunity,” Lissak added.

LeadRocket acquired by CallidusCloud
On February 5, Callidus Software, a leading provider of sales and marketing effectiveness cloud software, announced the acquisition of LeadRocket, an innovative social engagement and digital marketing platform provider.

CallidusCloud’s Lead to Money solutions provide sales teams with a platform to attract and accelerate leads through to closed deals.  The acquisition will equip sales with the power of social media and extend the reach of marketing campaigns.  Any sales professional on any device will now be able to tap into the power of digital marketing with this unique combination.

“We engaged Catapult to assist us in an M&A process because we appreciated their experience, deep domain expertise and strong industry relationships.  We were particularly pleased with the guidance they gave us in preparing for each meeting and the value-added feedback they were able to provide after meeting with prospective buyers.  The end result was a competitive process resulting in multiple interested parties.  Catapult artfully negotiated the LOI, assisted us through due diligence, and worked with us intensively through closing,” said LeadRocket CEO, Sam Weber.

Lithium acquires Klout
On March 27, Lithium Technologies announced the acquisition of Klout, a pioneer in using big data to measure online expertise.  Lithium is the recognized leader in engaging on social networks and building online customer communities for the world’s best brands.  Together, the companies reach more than 500 million consumers across 10,000 specific interest areas, and 300+ branded communities.  The combination of Lithium and Klout establishes one of the biggest data footprints of consumer attitudes, preferences, and activities on digital channels.

According to Lithium CEO Rob Tarkoff, “Catapult’s buyside methodology allowed us to operate with discipline and rigor seldom found in companies of our size.  Their expertise de-risked each step in the process – from identification to acquisition.  So while Catapult was driving all facets of the deal, I was able to focus my attention on the organic growth of our core business. It was a great partnership.”

8thBridge acquired by Fluid
On April 7, Fluid, a digital shopping software and services company, announced that it acquired 8thBridge, an on-demand provider of social discovery, curation, analytics, and marketing solutions for retailers.

By adding 8thBridge’s technology and capabilities, Fluid will now offer the most comprehensive suite of software solutions for empowering brands and retailers to deliver engaging digital shopping experiences to their customers, supported by an integrated social analytics platform.  Fluid is known as an ecommerce innovator that consistently transforms the way people shop, which makes 8thBridge’s Social CRM platform an ideal acquisition.

“Catapult’s deep industry knowledge and extensive buyer relationships easily surpassed the other banks we were considering.  Once the M&A process got underway, Catapult exceeded my expectations at several critical points along the way.  Thanks in large part to Catapult’s intelligent and tireless efforts, 8thBridge now has a bright future ahead of itself as part of Fluid.  I cannot imagine working with a more dedicated, well-connected and knowledgeable team of M&A professionals,” shared 8thBridge CEO, Wade Gerten.

About Catapult Advisors
Catapult Advisors is an investment bank and M&A advisory firm serving the software and internet sectors. Founded in 2001, the firm provides capital raising and M&A advisory services (both sell-side and buy-side) to privately-held companies, public companies, and several of the world’s leading private equity firms. Catapult has advised software and internet companies in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Israel. For more information, visit www.catapultadvisors.com.