MCI.TechVentures, a fund from the MCI group investing in technology companies at growth and expansion stage, has sold its shares in Retail Info s.r.o. (Retail Info), a price comparison engine and online commercial offer aggregator. The buyer is media group Mafra a.s. (Mafra), headquartered in Prague and owned by the German group Rheinisch-Bergische Druckerei und Verlagsgesellschaft GmbH.
MCI.TechVentures (47% shares in the share capital of the company) along with other private investors in Retail Info sold to Mafra all held shares in the company.
Retail Info operates in the Czech Republic and Slovakia offering price comparison engine and commercial offer aggregator services. MCI entered the investment in 2006.
– Retail Info offers services allowing consumers to access the best market offerings as well as retail chains to boost sales both off-line and online – commented Sylwester Janik, Partner, who manages the TechVentures fund. – The acquisition of Retail Info is another step for Mafra in fulfilling its strategy to grow revenue using the online segment. By adding Retail Info to the group, Mafra, as a publisher with already a substantial client database extends the range of offered online content and portfolio of services in the business to customer channel (B2C). – he added.
– Mafra’s strategy consists in strengthening its market position both in the traditional channel as well as online. In the digital world, we aim to concurrently develop the content of our portals and expand our services in the business to customer channel. The acquisition of Retail Info and its akcniceny.cz portal is in line with the group’s plans for development and allows Mafra to strengthen its position by acquiring a proven service offer – says Johannes Werle, General Director and President of Mafra Media Group.
– We are pleased to find a new owner of such significant strategic importance. By using its strength on the media market, Retail Info will gain broader coverage and improve the recognition of our services among consumers – said Patrik Mališ, co-owner of Retail Info, who will continue to manage the project after the acquisition by Mafra.
About Retail Info:
The company was established in 2000, handling online promotions for its retail partners. It operates on the Czech and Slovak markets. The company’s main activity consists in operating Internet portals aggregating promotional offers available to clients visiting supermarkets, home appliance and electronics stores, garden and DIY stores (brochures, promotional catalogs). Retail Info also operates the so-called price comparison engine for products offered by online stores.