The Carlyle Group to Acquire Bigmouthmedia to Merge With Global Media; Union Will Create Largest Independent Search Marketing Company

London – Global private equity firm The Carlyle Group today announces it has acquired Bigmouthmedia, the digital marketing agency headquartered in Edinburgh, U.K. and will merge the company with its existing portfolio company, Global Media GmbH, the web marketing company headquartered in Munich, Germany.

As a result, Carlyle will create the largest independent search marketing company with over 300 customers including Hilton, British Airways, AOL and Barclays. Bigmouthmedia is the leader in ‘natural search’ or search-engine optimisation, and has significant operations in the U.K. and the U.S. Global Media is the leading web marketing company for internationally focussed activities in continental Europe and Asia. This natural synergy will provide customers with a ‘one-stop shop’ on an international basis for users looking to optimise their online advertising and presence.

The Carlyle Group invested in Global Media GmbH in June 2006 to enable the company to accelerate its growth. Through the acquisition of Bigmouthmedia, the two companies will together be larger and more able to compete on an international scale. The merged company will continue to operate with both brands of Bigmouthmedia in the U.K. and the U.S., and Global Media across the rest of Europe and Asia.

Nazo Moosa, The Carlyle Group said, "We invested in Global Media with the intention of building the company through acquisitions of other complementary companies. The acquisition of Bigmouthmedia is a landmark move for the two companies, and we believe together they will help to lead the way in the rapidly growing online advertising market."

Steven Leach, Bigmouthmedia’s CEO, will continue to run the U.K. and U.S. operations of the combined business, while Thomas Gerteis will be CEO of the combined business. Bigmouthmedia was named AXA Small to Medium Business of the Year at the 2006 National Business Awards and 'Best Use of Search Marketing' at the Interactive Marketing and Advertising Awards.

Carlyle invested in Global Media and Bigmouthmedia through its European technology fund, Carlyle Europe Technology Partners (CETP), a fund dedicated to investing in growth capital and small buyout investments in companies with an enterprise value of between €25 million and €250 million.