PDV has been acquired by DM plc

PDV, the online lead generation business has been acquired by UK direct marketing group DM plc. Arrowpoint Advisory advised the vendors, including management and private equity investor Smedvig Capital.

PDV delivers responsive online audiences to a range of clients including AXA, Ladbrokes and AOL through its fair-exchange.com website and free DVD Club program. The fair-exchange.com website is ranked No.1 based on market share of visits among all UK websites in the Hitwise Gambling Lotteries industry.

Finding the right buyer was crucial to this deal. PDV's management wanted a buyer which understood the importance of quality in the market place. Arrowpoint Advisory's TMT sector team quickly identified and approached a carefully selected group of potential purchasers which they knew would have a strategic interest in PDV and met management's criteria.

DM was a very good fit; their expertise and understanding of this expanding market impressed the PDV team. The deal was concluded within three months and allows PDV's management to increase their scale, gives them access to a wider market and further development capital to support growth.

Bill Burey, Managing Director of PDV commented: “We have known the team at Arrowpoint Advisory for a long time, rate their market knowledge highly and had no hesitation in turning to them when we decided to market the business for sale.”

Richard Fetterman, Head of Media at Arrowpoint Advisory said: “We are delighted to have concluded this digital marketing deal in such a challenging environment. We enjoyed working with Bill and his team and believe that DM plc will offer them a good opportunity to strengthen further their market position going forwards.”

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