DeNA acquires 2 curation platform companies, Iemo and Mery

DeNA inc., announced on October 1 that they have acquired 2 Japanese curation platform companies, Iemo inc., (iemo.jp) and Peroli inc., (mery.jp).

It is DeNA's first time to operate curation platform business.

Iemo (iemo.jp) is a curation platform of housing and lifestyle, started in December 2013, and has 1.5 million MAU (monthly active users).

Mery (mery.jp) is also a new service which started in April 2013, focusing on female fashon, and has 12 million MAU on September 2014.

Both get more than 90% of traffic through smart phones, and more than 90% of users are female.

DeNA aims for 50 million MAU in a few years, by launching new curation platforms of other verticals, and exchanging users between these platforms.
Also they plan to generate revenue from the platforms by connecting the users to their existing advertising and e-commerce business in the future.

source - press release from DeNA

Capital and business alliance ADWAYS, Inc. and VC Inc, a leading affiliate advertising company in India

ADWAYS Inc. (HQ: Tokyo, President: Haruhisa Okamura) announced a capital and business alliance with VC Internet Media Private Limited (HQ: India New Delhi, President: Mahinder Kumar Bhargava). They are under a basic agreement regarding the acquisition of the company VC, up to 66% stake, and investment in stages toward subsidiary

1. Background and purpose of the alliance

ADWAYS set up a base in India New Delhi in July 2012, and has been conducting market research and proceeded partnership discussions.
It is also expanding overseas to East Asia, including China and Korea, and Southeast Asia, in the field of internet/smartphone advertising business
On the other hand, VC, established in the Republic of India in 2007, is an affiliate advertising company specialized in services in India since 2010, which lead to accumulation of a strong customer base and operational know-how in the country.
ADWAYS plans to put VC to its subsidiary while respecting the corporate culture of the company, by gradual investment and a dispatch officer, in order to take advantage of the VC's experience, know-how, and a network of contacts in India.
 
2. Profile of VC Internet Media Private Limited

Company name: VC Internet Media Private Limited
Address of HQ: F-342, Lado Sarai Old MBRoad, New Delhi-110030, India
Establishment: January 4, 2007
Representative: Mahinder Kumar Bhargava
Accounting period: March
Business: Internet advertising, business media
 
3. Future outlook
The impact on the performance of the future will be disclosed as appropriate, as soon as the specific impact becomes clear.
 
Corporation for ADWAYS Inc. http://www.adways.net/
 
Founded in 2001. Operates variety of businesses, such as 1) the affiliate program "Smart-C" on mobile with the nation's largest advertiser base, 2) the affiliate programs "JANet" for desktop media, 3) ads for smartphones "AppDriver", 4) planning, development and operation of the application / contents. Subsidiary company 愛徳威 Advertisement Co., Ltd (Shanghai) is developing business of Internet advertising in. Listed on TSE Mothers in 2006.

Softbank's TOB on GungHo Online Entertainment, the developer of mega hit app "Puzzle and Dragons"

 Softbank Mobile announced that they will acquire shares of GungHo Online Entertainment, an online game company (hereinafter, GungHo), through a tender offer.

 GungHo's largest shareholder, Softbank BB (under Softbank Group), already owns 33.36% of its share. In addition, 2nd and 3rd largest shareholders are the companies whose president is Mr. Taizo Son, who is also the Chairman of the Board of GungHo and the younger brother of Mr. Masayoshi Son, president of Softbank. Due to fluctuations in the stock of this tender offer, GungHo will become a consolidated subsidiary of Softbank Group.

 GungHo has been originated "On Sale", an online auction company. It changed the company name to the present one, and started the domestic management of the "Ragnarok Online". Thire main businesses are the operations of online gaming, and the development of game softwares of their own.

 Especially a puzzle game RPG app called "Puzzle & Dragons" for smartphones, released in February 2012, is in the blockbuster hit. Its stock price is about five times the year-to-date with the rapid rise.

 According to Softbank Mobile's press release, the purpose of the tender offer is "by taking advantage of the global management resources of Softbank Group, (Softbank Mobile) can contribute to enhancement of revenue and sales channels of online / smartphone game. At the same time, we believe that it will strengthen the revenue base and the corporate value of both GungHo and Softbank Group."

(additional info on March 26)
The maximum purchase price is 24.976 billion yen (340,276 yen per share, 6.37% stake / 73,400 shares). Offer period is from April 1 until April 26. The tender offer agent is Mizuho Securities.