Last month, Aptitude Software Group announced its plans to acquire MPP Global, an international provider of cloud-based subscription management and billing solutions, for £37.1M or just under $50 million (US). With customers in media and publishing in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America, MPP Global serves enterprise customers with its end-to-end SaaS platform – eSuite – which includes identity management, CRM, automated billing and payment processing, promotional tools, anti-churn technology and data management services. MPP Global has more than 40 clients including hayu, McClatchy, Torstar, L’Équipe, Daily Mail and Berliner Verlag.

The deal will combine Aptitude Software Group’s financial management software to help provide powerful revenue management and reporting for seamless end-to-end subscription, billing and revenue automation for subscription and membership-based companies.

According to Aptitude Software Group CEO Jeremy Suddards, MPP Global’s eSuite platform gives clients flexibility in terms of business models that are focused on recurring revenue and the platform also supports their clients’ ability to acquire, monetize and optimize customers.

“This deal has a number of clear value drivers for Aptitude Software. Both organizations are well-positioned to capitalize on the booming subscription economy. We continue to see more businesses across our core verticals (Media, Technology, Telecoms, Financial Services) and our expansion verticals (Medical Technology, Advanced Industries, Hi-Tech Manufacturing) adopting subscription-based monetization models,” said Suddards on LinkedIn. “An integrated offering of Subscription Management and Revenue Management will be greater than the sum of its parts – an end-to-end Revenue Automation solution for the ever-expanding subscription economy. Each of our businesses is strong on its own, but we look forward to doing truly great things together.”

“I am delighted to welcome the MPP Global team and customers into the Group, expanding both our current offering and future innovation capabilities. We believe MPP Global is a strong strategic fit, with both businesses positioned to capitalise on the growth in subscription offerings, and we are excited for the new opportunities the acquisition will bring,” Suddards said in a statement.

Julian Morelis, EVP Subscription Management & Billing, MPP Global, also commented on the deal.

“We’re excited that MPP Global was chosen by Aptitude Software for this investment opportunity, it’s testament to the strength of our client portfolio and innovative subscription billing platform. Together, we’ll provide robust product functionality with deep expertise across multiple industries, and we envision continued adoption across these verticals for the Group’s wider product suite. Our Northwest UK headquarters will become the second long-term innovation center for the Group, playing a key role in the Aptitude Software strategy going forward,” Morelis said.

According to NewsnReleases, MPP Global had Annual Recurring Revenue of £8.0 million (approximately $10.7 million US) as of June 30, 2021. Year end revenue was £10.4 million (approximately $13.9 million US).

Insider Take

We expect to see more of these types of acquisitions in 2022. Companies with solid platforms and a good client base are a perfect match for complementary companies that are well capitalized and ripe for growth. This particular acquisition sounds like a solid partnership that can build on its respective strengths to prepare itself for the next wave of the subscription economy.