Light Reading, a leading, innovative content-driven media business focusing on the telecom industry, has been sold to Informa (LSE: INF.L), a leading, global business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events business.
JEGI CLARITY (www.jegiclarity.com), the leading independent investment bank for the global media, information, marketing, software and tech-enabled services sectors, headquartered in New York, NY, represented Light Reading in this transaction.
Light Reading will join Informa’s Knowledge & Networking Division, which currently consists of a portfolio of specialist content, data products and high quality confexes in several key verticals, including TMT. This acquisition is part of an expansion of Informa’s TMT capabilities.
Founded in 2000, Light Reading is a US-based, business-to-business digital information, marketing and events business with a strong reputation and loyal following within the global TMT community. Through its Light Reading and Heavy Reading information products and high quality confexes, it has grown rapidly in recent years to become a key partner to a broad range of companies within the TMT space.
Alongside its broad range of specialist TMT data, knowledge and customer relationships, Light Reading brings capabilities in areas such as specialist content, digital communities and targeted marketing.
I’ve worked with the JEGI CLARITY team to sell two of my companies – one in 2005 and one this year – for over $100 million. In each case, JEGI CLARITY’s trust relationship across the entire industry drove value and shortened the sale process. With its extraordinarily comprehensive database of c-level contacts, JEGI CLARITY can easily get key decision makers on the phone, live, without any preamble. This type of access is unique and hard earned. Also, without their help, the sheer amount of communication and due diligence involved in my last deal would have completely capsized the business. JEGI CLARITY’s record speaks for itself: literally hundreds of successful closes. Thus, my advice to any seller: if JEGI CLARITY wants to sell your business for you, let them! Working with their team is the best way to ensure a successful outcome at the highest value possible.
Stephen Saunders, Founder & CEO, Light Reading