Aufeminin to Acquire the Digital Publisher Livingly Media in the U.S.

aufeminin has agreed to acquire 100 percent of the digital publisher Livingly Media in the U.S., which operates three popular websites: Zimbio.com (entertainment), StyleBistro.com (fashion, beauty and style) and Lonny.com (home design). aufeminin will pay an initial purchase price of USD 25 million and has agreed to an EBITDA-driven earn-out. The acquisition of Livingly Media will significantly strengthen aufeminin’s position in the U.S. aufeminin entered the U.S. market in 2013 by launching wewomen.com, a platform dedicated to fashion, beauty, psychology and fitness.

Marie-Laure Sauty de Chalon, CEO of the aufeminin group, says: “This acquisition is an important step in our international strategy, since we are adding to our family a digital and social media powerhouse that is already well established in the U.S. market.”

Livingly Media is based in Silicon Valley and has an additional office in New York. The company has a strong social media and mobile expertise. It was founded in 2006 by Tony Mamone and Danny Khatib and employs 65 people. Livingly Media reaches an audience of more than 28 million unique visitors per month (Google Analytics, January 2015).

Tony Mamone, CEO of Livingly Media: “We’re thrilled to join the aufeminin group, whose deep digital media expertise and support will accelerate our strategy, which is focused on captivating audiences on mobile, desktop, and social platforms with unique content experiences, and selling native sponsorships and programmatic advertising.” The closing of the acquisition is expected to take place the latest at the beginning of March 2015.

Put option for sale of Smart AdServer
In addition aufeminin wants to focus on its digital publishing activities and has therefore received a put option regarding the sale of 100 percent of the capital of its subsidiary from Cathay Capital. In case aufeminin exercises this put option, Smart AdServer would be sold to a company incorporated by Cathay Capital and the main managers of Smart AdServer for a total price set at EUR 37 million. Smart AdServer, created in 2001, has become a European leader in ad serving and RTB within the last years. The company has enjoyed a sustained and profitable growth in the past. In 2014 Smart AdServer reported a revenue of EUR 14 million.

About aufeminin
aufeminin is majority owned by Axel Springer SE and is listed in compartment B of Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0004042083, Ticker: FEM). As the world’s No. 1 provider of editorial and community-based content for women, aufeminin is present on all platforms and devices in 14 countries: France, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Canada, Morocco, Tunisia, USA and Brazil. The aufeminin Group also owns MyLittleParis, which publishes newsletters for a one-million strong online community of women readers.