Cloud Savings Company

Trade Sale of Cloud Savings Company to Groupon

When the original owners of Invitation Digital bought their business back from Vodafone, they had an opportunity to sell it on...

Highlights

£46.7m

trade sale to Groupon

THE COMPANY

Invitation Digital Limited – founded by Scott Davidson and Greg Le Tocq - owned the Vouchercloud brand, the second largest voucher site in the UK. It also had growing operations around the rest of the world including Giftcloud, the digital disruptor to the gift card industry which offered innovative solutions to a £3.5bn market place.

CHALLENGE

In 2017 we helped Scott and Greg to complete a management buy-out of IDL from Vodafone which had invested in the business but had decided to focus on other markets. Within five months of buying back the business from Vodafone, Scott Davidson and Greg Le Tocq asked us to find a new buyer..

OUTCOME

The subsequent sale to Groupon, the global e-commerce marketplace, not only placed the business with a supportive long-term partner whose ambitions were aligned with the founders, it also provided a powerful platform for growth. Groupon invested in the Bristol-based Invitation Digital team to develop it as a European centre of excellence, providing an exciting prospect for employees and those interested in building a career in technology and media. Greg remained with the business and led the team, while Scott took the opportunity to retire.

TESTIMONIAL

"Bringing Jim and his team on board was one of the key reasons we were successful in transferring our business out of a legacy ownership and into a deserving long term home in less than 5 months. Their commitment and ability to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances sets Shaw & Co apart.”

"
Shaw & Co were beside us all the way through the buy-out and into the sale."
Greg Le Tocq
Co-Founder, Cloud Savings Company
Lead Advisor:
Jim Shaw
 - 
Founder & CEO
Read 
Jim Shaw
's bio
Support Advisor:
Myles Hamilton
 - 
Director
Read 
Myles Hamilton
's bio
Support Advisor:
 - 
Read 
's bio
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