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Business Insider
16-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
The creator economy is on track for a record year of M&A deals, according to a new report
Creator economy mergers and acquisitions are on pace for a record year, according to a recent report from the M&A advisory firm Quartermast Advisors. Quartermast tracked 52 deals that had been announced in the first half of the year. According to the firm's analysis, that's a 73% year-over-year increase. So far this year, two key players are inking deals in the creator economy: private equity firms and industry incumbents. For instance, private equity firm PSG Equity invested $150 million to take a majority stake in the creator economy startup Uscreen, which helps influencers launch their own apps. "Private equity is looking at some of these businesses that have been built and saying, 'Hey, there's a lot more we can do with growth equity,'" Quartermast founder James Creech said. Summit Partners, another private equity firm, made a strategic investment that funded influencer marketing platform Later's $250 million acquisition of affiliate startup Mavely. Media and advertising incumbents are also snapping up creator startups. An example is advertising giant Publicis Groupe's recent acquisitions of BR Media Group, an influencer marketing agency, and Captiv8, an influencer marketing platform for managing campaigns. Creech also pointed to traditional media companies buying up creator startups, like Fox's acquisition of Red Seat Ventures, a digital media company behind conservative streaming shows and podcasts (including several from former Fox News stars). "Traditional companies realize the creator economy is an important category," Creech said. "They need to have this DNA, they need to have these capabilities in-house, so they're looking to acquire them." A recent data point that backs that up: Creator-driven platforms will overtake traditional media companies in ad revenue this year, according to a recent report from WPP Media, an arm of the ad giant WPP. M&A is heating up "We track every single creator economy acquisition," Creech said, adding the firm uses SEC filings, PitchBook data, press releases, and other public sources to gather its report on creator economy M&A. Across the creator economy landscape, here's where deals are being made so far in 2025, according to Quartermast's analysis: Software companies, such as influencer marketing platforms and content creation tools, account for about a quarter of the deals so far in 2025 (26.9%). Deals in this category include Later acquiring Mavely and Publicis acquiring Captiv8. Quartermast's report counts 14 deals in this category between January and June. Media properties, which Quartermast defines in its report as "digital publishers, short-form video studios, and creator media companies," were the second largest category (19.2%). The report lists 10 media deals, including Wonder acquiring Tastemade and Whalar Group acquiring The Business of Creativity. Talent management firms continue to be a space for consolidation, making up 13.5% of deals in the first half. Shine Talent Group announced its acquisition of Spark Talent in January, and firms like The Outloud Group and Fixated have made multiple acquisitions so far this year. Influencer marketing agencies are also cutting deals as consolidation runs through the industry, making up 13.5% of first-half M&A. Publicis is another buyer here. It acquired BR Media Group, an influencer marketing agency based in Brazil. Audio companies, such as podcasting and music startups, made up 9.6% of deals. Creech listed Alex Cooper's Unwell Media as an example. It announced two acquisitions at the start of the year. Quartermast also included Epidemic Sound's acquisition of music recognition startup Song Sleuth in this category. Meanwhile, other categories made up a smaller portion of the pie, such as gaming (3.8%), commerce (3.8%), and a generalized "other" (9.6%). What the rest of 2025 holds for the creator economy M&A What's in store for the second half of 2025? Creech, whose firm has brokered two M&A deals so far in 2025, predicts that the creator economy could see more than 100 deals by the end of the year. Categories that Creech said could ramp up include creator services, talent management firms, and influencer marketing. Influencer marketing has continued to be a busy sector for M&A for the last few years, which have been freckled with deals on both the agency and platform side. Publicis, for instance, has already announced two influencer marketing acquisitions in 2025 and acquired Influential for $500 million last year. The French company told shareholders in February that it anticipated "investing €800 million to €900 million" in acquisitions (roughly $930 million to $1.04 billion). "That might not all be creator economy, but I think other influencer agencies or software will be part of that," Creech said about Publicis' potential deals through the end of the year. Creech also expects to see more international deals in the second half of the year. While 40% of acquisition targets in the first half of 2024 were international, that shrank to 21% for the first half of 2025.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vertiqal Studios Engages Quartermast Advisors as Creator Economy M&A Advisor
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 10, 2025) - Vertiqal Studios Corp. (TSX: VRTS) (OTCQB: VERTF) (FSE: 9PY0) (the "Company" or "Vertiqal Studios") - Vertiqal Studios, one of North America's largest owners of gaming and lifestyle social media channels, is pleased to announce that it has engaged Quartermast Advisors ("Quartermast") as its buy-side M&A advisor. Quartermast will assist Vertiqal Studios in identifying and executing strategic media acquisitions to accelerate growth and expand its market presence. As part of its broader growth strategy, Vertiqal Studios aims to leverage acquisitions to enhance its content capabilities, expand audience reach, and strengthen its data-driven monetization model. With the expertise of Quartermast, a distinguished advisory firm specializing in media, technology, and the creator economy, Vertiqal Studios is well-positioned to evaluate and pursue accretive acquisition opportunities in the evolving digital media landscape. "We are excited to partner with Quartermast as we take a strategic approach to identifying media assets that align with our vision," said Jon Dwyer, Chairman & CEO of Vertiqal Studios. "This collaboration underscores our commitment to growth through targeted acquisitions that enhance our content ecosystem and drive long-term value for our shareholders." The move also builds on the momentum from Vertiqal Studios' other recent transactions, including the December 2023 acquisition of Offbeat Studios and its December 2024 purchase of four high-performing social channels from Viral Nation. Vertiqal Studios is now doubling down on its success as it intends to pursue additional acquisition targets to further accelerate its growth. Quartermast brings extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, providing Vertiqal Studios with the insights and strategic guidance necessary to navigate the dynamic media industry. The partnership will focus on identifying social media publishers and other media properties that complement Vertiqal Studios' existing leadership in the digital content space. "We are thrilled to support Vertiqal Studios in its M&A strategy," said James Creech, Founder & Managing Partner of Quartermast. "Their innovative approach to digital media makes them an ideal candidate for strategic acquisitions, and we look forward to helping them identify and execute transactions that accelerate their growth trajectory." This engagement marks a significant step for Vertiqal Studios as it continues to capitalize on emerging opportunities in digital media, streaming, and content monetization. By aligning with Quartermast, Vertiqal Studios reinforces its commitment to expansion and industry leadership. Quartermast's compensation is contingent upon the successful completion of a transaction. Lastly, Vertiqal Studios is announcing the resignation of Rob Segal from its Board of Directors. The Company is immensely grateful to Mr. Segal for his diligent support and guidance throughout his time serving on the Board and wishes him the very best in the future. About Vertiqal Studios Vertiqal Studios, owners of one of North America's largest gaming and lifestyle network on social media, is a digital strategy, creative, and distribution holding company. The Company specializes in the creation and distribution of viral videos for brands and advertisers to create always-on digital strategies that live authentically in Gen Z and Millennial culture. Vertiqal Studios partners with leading brands to develop strategic solutions, creative ideation, and content production, while also providing distribution and amplification through its Owned & Operated channels - all delivered with boutique, white-glove service. Its expertise lies in managing over 130 channels across TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, while producing over 100+ pieces of content a day for a growing audience of 52 million-plus followers. By having such robust ownership of culture and communities on social, Vertiqal Studios provides innovative advertising solutions for brands such as RBC, Samsung, White Castle, Coca-Cola, ESPN, Chili's, and more. For more information and to join our email subscriber list for direct press releases and newsletters, visit About Quartermast Advisors Quartermast Advisors is a boutique M&A advisory firm, specializing in media, technology, and the creator economy. Drawing on its deep industry expertise, Quartermast Advisors assists clients in executing strategic transactions that drive value and business growth. For more information, visit For media inquiries, please contact: Jon DwyerChairman and Chief Executive Officer +1 (416) 627-8868;Email: jon@ Investor Relations Email: ir@ Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance and include, but are not limited to, statements relating to future acquisitions of businesses or assets, and the Company's ability to complete those acquisitions. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by management of the Company. Although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit Sign in to access your portfolio
