REG - RWS Holdings PLC - Agreement in principle to acquire Obviously Group

RWS HoldingsAnnouncement

Today 07:00

For best results when printing this announcement, please click on link below:
https://newsfile.refinitiv.com/getnewsfile/v1/story?guid=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20260505:nRSE8934Ca&default-theme=true

RNS Number : 8934C  RWS Holdings PLC  02 May 2026

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN, INTO OR
FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE
RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION

For immediate release
 
                     2 May 2026

 

RWS Holdings plc ("RWS", "the Group")

Agreement in principle to acquire Obviously Group Limited ("Obviously")

A unique AI-enabled technology platform which integrates IP and brand
management, protection and enforcement, creating significant revenue
opportunities as part of RWS

RWS Holdings plc (AIM: RWS), a global AI solutions company, is pleased to
announce that it has reached agreement in principle to acquire Obviously, a
next generation integrated platform which enables enterprise clients to
seamlessly manage, protect and enforce their Intellectual Property ("IP") and
brand integrity. The parties are in advanced and exclusive discussions to
finalise and enter into definitive legally binding transaction documents to
implement the acquisition and have reached agreement in principle on all
substantive terms.

Acquisition highlights

·      The acquisition, if completed, will position RWS as a provider of
an innovative end-to-end brand lifecycle technology solution, from creation
and localisation to protection, strengthening RWS's value proposition as a
unified "Global Brand Guardianship" platform for large enterprise clients.

·      The acquisition would be a strategic investment in a platform
which can be offered to both existing and potential clients to create
significant revenue opportunities across the Group's Protect and Transform
segments.

·      The acquisition will, if completed, expand the Group's total
addressable market by c£2bn, through expansion into trademark and brand
protection solutions, whilst also strengthening Protect's ability to capture a
greater share of its existing addressable market.

·      RWS would plan to leverage Obviously's technology to offer the
full range of IP services - patents, trademarks and brand - on a single,
consolidated AI enabled platform.

·      Obviously's largely enterprise client base includes well-known
media & entertainment, technology, financial, pharmaceutical and sports
companies.

·      The acquisition will, if completed, bring further technology
talent into the Group.

About Obviously

Launched in 2024, Obviously is a UK-based technology company that has started
to disrupt the IP management and protection solutions market, displacing
existing solutions for multiple enterprises. Headquartered in London,
Obviously employs approximately 30 people, 50% of whom are engineers and
developers. Obviously offers a single, fully integrated platform which enables
legal, marketing and finance teams to track their brand assets and IP rights,
ensure their brand integrity is protected by identifying threats like
counterfeits or copycats, and quantify the impact of these infringements,
through its three core capabilities:

·      IP portfolio management: a platform for IP case and workflow
management with integrated IP services (patent and trademark renewals)
enabling clients to seamlessly manage their IP rights effectively

·      Brand Protection: an AI-enabled brand protection capability that
uses product and commercial data to safeguard clients' user experiences from
being diluted or damaged; and

·      IP Intelligence: the use of commercial and sales data to connect
enforcement activities to real world commercial impact.

In the year to 28 February 2026, Obviously generated revenues of approximately
£2.5m and a loss of approximately £1.5m. If the acquisition completes, the
business, which will continue to be managed by its current CEO, Lewis Whiting,
will become part of RWS's Protect segment.

The acquisition is expected to comprise initial cash consideration of £16.5m
(on a cash-free / debt-free basis and subject to customary adjustments), with
earn-out consideration of up to an aggregate amount of £23.5m, payable
dependent on the satisfaction of stretching EBITDA-related performance hurdles
in the financial years ending 30 September 2027, 30 September 2028 and 30
September 2029 and subject to a total consideration cap of £40m. If
completed, the acquisition would represent a substantial transaction for RWS
for the purposes of AIM Rule 12.

The parties are in advanced and exclusive discussions to finalise and enter
into definitive legally binding transaction documents to implement the
acquisition. However, there can be no certainty that a transaction will
ultimately be agreed.

A further announcement will be made as and when required.

Benjamin Faes, Chief Executive Officer of RWS, commented:

"The acquisition of Obviously will be a significant step forward in
accelerating our growth by pivoting to be a technology-first business with
holistic solutions for enterprise clients.

"Obviously's innovative integrated platform, which safeguards brands through
IP & brand management, protection and enforcement intelligence, will be a
strong fit with both our existing patent-focused IP business and our
localisation capabilities.

"Bringing Obviously into the Group will mean RWS can offer an integrated,
global brand guardianship solution to our existing client base and will
position us well for potential clients in our existing and expanded
addressable market. I look forward to welcoming the technology and talent that
Obviously will bring into the Group."

Lewis Whiting, Chief Executive Officer of Obviously, added:

"This will mark an important milestone in Obviously's journey and a testament
to the unique market position that we have created by working closely with
some of the world's most recognised brands. Our platform will fast-track RWS's
journey in the IP digital marketplace and bring exposure to a complementary
market - brand protection. I look forward to the opportunity to bring our
AI-driven platforms and expertise in relation to legal brand guardianship to
RWS's extensive customer base in the Protect and Transform segments."

 

 

For further information, please contact:

 

 RWS

 Benjamin Faes, Chief Executive Officer

 Stephen Lamb, Chief Financial Officer                01628 410100

 MHP (Financial PR advisor)                           rws@mhpgroup.com

 Katie Hunt / Eleni Menikou                           07884 494112

 Deutsche Numis (Nomad & Joint Broker)

 Stuart Skinner / William Wickham                     020 7260 1000

 Berenberg (Joint Broker)

 Ben Wright / Toby Flaux / Mike Burke / Milo Bonser   020 3207 7800

 

The person responsible for arranging the release of this announcement on
behalf of RWS is Jane Hyde, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary.

 

Important notices

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of
EU Regulation 596/2014 as it forms part of the domestic law of the United
Kingdom by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended.
Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information is now
considered to be in the public domain.

This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the
business, strategy, financial performance and results of RWS and/or its
subsidiaries, Obviously and/or the industry in which they operate. Actual
results, levels of activity, performance, achievements and events may vary
materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements concern future circumstances and results and other
matters that are not historical facts, sometimes identified by the words
'believes',' expects', 'predicts', 'intends', 'projects', 'plans',
'estimates', 'aims', 'foresees', 'anticipates', 'targets', 'goals', 'due',
'could', 'may', 'should', 'potential', 'likely' and similar expressions,
although these words are not the exclusive means of doing so. These
forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding
RWS's and/or Obviously's future financial position, income growth, impairment
charges, business strategy, projected levels of growth in relevant markets,
projected costs, estimates of capital expenditures, and plans and objectives
for future operations. Forward-looking statements contained in this
announcement regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a
representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future.
Nothing in this announcement should be regarded as a profit forecast.

The forward-looking statements, including assumptions, opinions and views of
RWS or cited from third party sources (including Obviously), contained in this
announcement are solely opinions and forecasts which are uncertain and subject
to risks. Although RWS believes that the expectations reflected in these
forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these
expectations will prove to be correct. Actual results may differ materially
from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. A number
of factors could cause actual events to differ significantly from those
expressed or implied by such forward looking statements.

Most of these factors are difficult to predict accurately and are generally
beyond the control of RWS and/or Obviously. Any forward-looking statements
made by, or on behalf of, RWS speak only as of the date they are made. Save as
required by law, RWS will not publicly release the results of any revisions to
any forward-looking statements in this announcement that may occur due to any
change in the directors' expectations or to reflect events or circumstances
after the date of this announcement.

About RWS:

RWS is a global AI solutions company empowering the world's most trusted
enterprise AI.

Our proprietary Cultural Intelligence Layer, powered by 250,000 data
specialists, cultural and language experts and deep domain professionals,
backed by 45+ patents, makes enterprise AI culturally fluent, contextually
accurate and secure, ensuring every interaction reflects a brand's tone,
context and customer values.

Through our Generate, Transform and Protect segments, we deliver intelligent
content, enterprise knowledge, large-scale localisation and IP protection for
global growth. Trusted by 80+ of the world's top 100 brands, RWS provides the
confidence, governance and expertise organisations need to deploy AI safely,
responsibly and at scale.

Headquartered in the UK, RWS is listed on AIM (RWS.L).

For further information, please visit: www.rws.com
(https://protect.checkpoint.com/v2/r06/___http:/www.rws.com___.ZXV3MjpuZXh0MTU6YzpvZmZpY2UzNjVfZW1haWxzX2F0dGFjaG1lbnQ6YmE3MDZkMTkyZGU4ZmVlNThjZjU5Yjk1NGQ0YjIxMDU6NzplYzM5OmJiYTc1YjUyYmQ5MjIwOWViOGUyNWYxN2VkN2VjMTg4ZjhkNmU0M2IwZGIzNGVjNDlmMjZhNTk5M2YyNmFkY2M6cDpUOlQ)
.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact
rns@lseg.com (mailto:rns@lseg.com)
 or visit
www.rns.com (http://www.rns.com/)
.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our
Privacy Policy (https://www.lseg.com/privacy-and-cookie-policy)
.   END  ACQLLLFBQELZBBK



            Copyright 2019 Regulatory News Service, all rights reserved