Ziff Davis’ Post

You’ve been inundated with talk of M&A in #adtech. You’ve seen the headlines hyping up the next wave of deals. Now, let’s break down the key factors driving it all.

Mildly interesting: US listed Lee Enterprises Inc. has adopted a rights plan, to counter a potential takeover by Quint Digital Ltd, which recently quickly acquired ~12% of Lee Enterprises. Such a rights plan is commonly called a 'poison pill' and allows existing shareholders to launch a cheap rights issue if a large shareholder crosses a threshold. The triggering person cannot participate in the rights plan, thereby getting diluted. #HostileTakeover #PoisonPill #AntiTakeover #TakeoverDefenses

So, the M&A revival adds another interesting chapter, with further details on Digiday to come. As always, thoughts and insights are welcome in comments and DMs.

Great article by Ronan Shields and Seb Joseph! Is M&A coming back in #adtech, and what's the driver? At MadTech we're seeing the driver being #Transformation build, buy or license, almost the entire industry needs to convert their business to be powered by 1st party data from 3rd party.

Founders usually have an idea about what they're doing, even if their business is struggling. There is logic behind their pricing, or what they're doing. Sometimes, going against the "founder's wishes" can break the company. This is what happened to movie-ticket subscription company MoviePass. This company went out of business after a company acquired a large stake in it, dropped its subscription price and then decided to keep that silly low subscription fee. Here's what stuck out: "At one point, the company had more than 3 million subscribers. Lots of people were using it, all the time, way more than Helios and Matheson had bargained for. So it collapsed, crushed by its own impossible promise. In 2018, Helios and Matheson reported a net loss of nearly $400 million. Spikes got pushed out. In 2019 MoviePass ceased operations, and in 2020 Helios and Matheson filed for bankruptcy." Read the full story in "MoviePass Has Stumbled Repeatedly. Why Does It Still Have Fans?" via WIRED #amreading #research #business #finance #founders

Thinking about Starry, Inc.. I remember meeting with then-CEO Chaitanya Kanojia and CTO Joe Lipowski at CES in 2018. Obvs a very different time. VC-funded and gearing up for growth. They talked about how they weren’t really a “rebellious” bunch like they were being portrayed. More like just wanting to offer choice in broadband and being successful at it. So much happened. Flash forward and now CEO Alex Moullé-Berteaux is talking about reaching profitability – post crazy growth, post IPO, post bankruptcy. Onward. #FWA #spectrum #millimeterwave #geekingout

The logical and anticipated end. Vivid manifestation of a failed leadership in pursuit of an easy fast money through a false PR, SPAC ponzi schemes and stock market manipulations. Most of MMAT technologies/business units are useless (which was obvious to me since Rolith M&A in 2016). Rolith's RML and NanoWeb tech was an exception, but delusional CEO and corrupt Board never allocated right resources to this BU, even after IPOs with ridiculously high company valuation. Looking forward to the assets auction soon. #MMAT #Metamaterials #Chapter7 #bankruptsy #Rolith #RML #NanoWeb

UPDATE on case with FOURSQUARE…..a David vs Goliath story. Amazing that I’m sitting here waiting on a mid size Big Tech firm IPR ( Inter Party Review) decision vs BoardActive which I began with an simple idea and thought in 2012. Foursquare felt so intimated and threatened by our powerful patented technology, that they paid massive fees for lawyers and filing fees and are now trying to invalidate or kill the patents against a small start up on what the USPTO awarded to us. It’s what those who want what you have do to try to steal your idea and #innovation. It’s how our patent system is failing America and the world economy. Theft is real. They try to drain you as a small company. Bankrupt you with massive litigation. We have a operating company built from scratch and on the backs of and paralleling our powerful 💥 patented VisualMatic technology! Our product and solution is second to no one. It’s very good! Even though I was invited as a speaker and trained USPTO examiners in 2021 on patent quality at the PETTP conference, I’m still facing this massive and expensive procedure. I’ll have much more to say about this fiasco soon once the IPR decision has been rendered, but in the meantime… As I’ve said since day 1 to our investors; A patents is only as good as it’s first lawsuit. If your a small business or inventor with great patents that others want, you will be next. It’s what they do. Our Patent system is a disaster and must be changed. This isn’t the way it is suppose to be!! They don’t know me …I’ll fight until I WIN, efficiencent infringement or not!! BoardActive.com

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Naver Webtoon Prepares for Landmark Nasdaq Listing Amid Financial Challenges and Growth Potential Naver Webtoon, a pioneering digital comics platform originating from South Korea, is advancing towards a historic listing on the Nasdaq. This move, anticipated to solidify its status as a global leader in digital storytelling, comes amidst a backdrop of ongoing financial challenges and promising market potential. IPO Journey and Strategic Leadership Naver Webtoon’s journey towards […] The post Naver Webtoon Prepares for Landmark Nasdaq Listing Amid Financial Challenges and Growth Potential first appeared on KoreaTechDesk | Korean Startup and Technology News . The post Naver Webtoon Prepares for Landmark Nasdaq Listing Amid Financial Challenges and Growth Potential appeared first on KoreaTechDesk | Korean Startup and Technology News . #koreatech #Tech #koreastartup #KoreaTechnews #Koreastartupnews