Digital Commerce & subsectors
- Agencies & Marketing Services Providers
- Digital Commerce Software
- Media, Social & Gaming
- Online Retail
- Internet Services & Portals
Hampleton’s Digital Commerce practice forms an integrated global group spearheaded by Ralph Hübner, Dr. Jan Eiben, Axel Brill, Jonathan Simnett and Michel Annink, and covers all sub-sectors relating to digital marketing and e-commerce.
Our Digital Commerce specialists have over 80 years' combined experience in marketing communications, digital transformation, online and brick-and-mortar retail, and relationships with the broadest network of acquirers, investors and sellers in the industry.
The team members have advised on a multitude of operational, strategic and transactional projects to some of the biggest names in marketing and commerce including Edeka, Ikea, Kaufland, Kering, Microsoft, Omnicom, Walmart, WPP, Zalando and many others.
Hampleton advised the shareholders of pixi*, an e-commerce order processing and warehouse management software vendor, and arranged the sale of their company to Descartes Systems Group, a leader in on-demand SaaS solutions for logistics-intensive businesses. Neither the North American NASDAQ listed buyer nor the local champion in Germany had heard of each other prior to Hampleton’s introduction. The pixi* / Descartes transaction underscores Hampleton’s understanding, creativity and capabilities in finding the best matches in digital commerce, enterprise software and SaaS.
Digital Commerce Sector Principal
Ralph Ch. Hübner
Ralph is a leading expert in digital commerce and has more than 20 years of experience in consulting, specialising in digital strategy. Ralph has extensive experience with all relevant tools and techniques to improve online success: brand positioning and protection, social media and e-commerce solutions as well as marketplace business.
Managing Partner
Dr. Jan Eiben
Jan is based in Frankfurt, Germany, from where he serves clients across Europe with a focus on German-speaking countries. His career over the past 20 years includes extensive experience in international M&A projects on the buy and sell sides in industries including enterprise software, services, digital commerce, healthcare, and industrials. In addition, he also worked as a management consultant advising entrepreneurs in strategy and organizational development projects as well as succession management in family-owned businesses.
Managing Director
Axel Brill
Axel Brill is based in northern Germany and has over 25 years' experience in the software industry. Axel co-founded Hoffmann Datentechnik in the late '80s and as its CEO built it out to become Germany's leading workforce management (WFM) solution provider for the retail sector. He sold the company in 2006 to Torex PLC. After helping with the integration, Axel headed off for a three-year sailing tour of half the planet where he photographed undersea wildlife. Following this, he invested in a Danish WFM SaaS vendor and worked as a regional director for the world's leading WFM vendor, Kronos.
Director
Jonathan Simnett
Jonathan has been involved in the enterprise technology business for over three decades, managing and turning around existing business and helping management and their investors in fast-growth technology segments to grow, manage change, enter markets, transfer technologies, acquire, merge and sell. He’s worked with large and public infrastructure and system integration companies including: AT&T, Avaya, BroadSoft, BT, C&W, Cisco, HP, Global Switch, GMC, Huawei, Informix, Infosys, Intel, Myriad Group, Novell, IBM, IGT, Nortel, OpenReach, Pace, TCS, and Sybase.
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Digital Commerce Report 2H2024
Our latest Digital Commerce M&A report reveals that 1,089 deals were struck in the sector in 1H2024, compared to the 1,063 deals recorded in the previous six-month period. The modest uptick in M&A activity reflects a degree of market recovery following the post-pandemic decline. However, macroeconomic challenges and geopolitical tumult continue to have an impact, as can be seen in a fall in the trailing 30-month median revenue multiple, which has dropped for the second six-month period in a row.
News
Digital Commerce M&A Activity Rises, But Investors in the Sector Remaining Selective and Focusing on Profitability
The latest Digital Commerce M&A report from Hampleton Partners, the international M&A and corporate finance advisory firm for software and technology companies, reveals that 1,089 deals were struck in the sector in 1H2024, compared to the 1,063 deals recorded in the previous six-month period.
The modest uptick in M&A activity reflects a degree of market recovery following the post-pandemic decline. However, macroeconomic challenges and geopolitical tumult continue to have an impact, as can be seen in a fall in the trailing 30-month median revenue multiple, which has dropped for the second six-month period in a row.
