Behind the acquisition: what the purchase of Text Marketer means for Esendex and industry growth

We’re pleased to announce that the acquisition of Text Marketer signals the next step in the growth of Esendex and the business SMS industry, and we are excited about the opportunities and challenges to come. Geoff Love, who became CEO earlier this year, talks about the purchase.
Why has this purchase been made?
In July this year Esendex underwent a management buyout (MBO) from Darwin Private Equity for £11 million. This led to a restructure of the management team, resulting in my move from COO to CEO, and also brought with it the opportunity for future acquisitions and investments. The purchase of Text Marketer is the first acquisition as part of the plan to build organic growth and shows that Esendex and Darwin are making a clear commitment to moving the businesses, and the industry, forward.
Why Text Marketer?
Text Marketer has many great customers and has achieved significant growth recently. Plus, it is a brand that complements the Esendex offering. As one of our key competitors, but one that operates in a different niche, it was a clear choice for our first acquisition.
What does this mean for the two businesses?
Both brands will continue in their current forms – customers will not be merged, although there may be some streamlining of back office functions. There will be no disruption to clients on either side, and both parties benefit from the expertise and message volumes of the other.
The purchase of another profitable business gives us a lot of potential to grow two businesses, and learn from them both. We can now capitalise further on the growing industry and cater to an even wider range of customers.
What does this mean for customers?
Esendex now has an additional route for customers who want low-cost messaging, and some Text Marketer customers could benefit from Esendex’s clear capabilities in mission-critical messaging.
Purchasing Text Marketer demonstrates our faith in and commitment to the business SMS market, reassuring customers that we are working hard to bring them the best possible solutions for their needs.
What does this mean for the business SMS market?
The acquisition creates a combined business that can even better capitalise on the fast-growing market. Esendex and Text Marketer are already clear leaders in the arena and with our combined expertise, technology and commitment, we will continue to lead the way in new developments.
The increasing use of SMS in application-to-person (A2P) communications opens many doors for companies such as Esendex and Text Marketer to lead the way. Together, we have a whole host of tools and resources at our disposal to solidify our position at the cutting-edge.
Will Esendex now target other acquisitions and different markets?
This purchase shows our intent to lead the industry and to become Europe’s leading provider of business SMS and Esendex and Darwin will continue to look for opportunities to increase market share, especially within Europe, and make acquisitions where appropriate. The focus will remain where our strengths lie: in business messaging.