REG - YouGov PLC - YouGov acquires Yabble

YouGovAnnouncement

06/08/2024 07:15

For best results when printing this announcement, please click on link below:
http://newsfile.refinitiv.com/getnewsfile/v1/story?guid=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20240806:nRSF2681Za&default-theme=true

RNS Number : 2681Z  YouGov PLC  06 August 2024

6 August 2024

 

YouGov plc

 

("YouGov" or "the Group" or "the Company")

 

YouGov acquires Yabble

 

YouGov to transform its Data Products using generative AI through the
acquisition of Yabble

 

YouGov, the international research and data analytics group, announces the
acquisition of Yabble, a New Zealand based company pioneering the use of
generative AI to deliver audience insights. The acquisition will see YouGov
acquire Yabble's technology to power new and valuable insights for clients
across the world, while also seeing YouGov's data become the foundation of
Yabble's industry leading AI platform.

 

Yabble currently has 13 full-time employees globally and has been developing
cutting edge generative AI-powered tools specifically for the research
industry since 2019. Its products are trusted by a range of Fortune 500
customers and major international brands, including some of YouGov's largest
clients.

 

Yabble's technology is perfectly placed to take advantage of the enormous
growth in generative AI in the insights industry. Its platform is built with a
series of proprietary algorithms, custom fine-tuned models and complex prompt
engineering to deliver the most sophisticated and accurate tools available,
creating instant insights for every stage of the market research process.
Yabble was also acknowledged by leading industry site Greenbook, in the GRIT
Top 50 Most Innovative Supplier list for 2023.

 

YouGov has been working closely with the Yabble team over the past year on the
development and launch of the Group's first client-facing AI product, YouGov
AI Qual Explorer, which has seen positive uptake and feedback from clients.
Initially, Yabble's revolutionary technology will be integrated with YouGov's
core Data Products to accelerate the development of AI-enabled features and
set the standard for use of generative AI in market research.

 

Steve Hatch, YouGov CEO:

 

"Generative AI is transforming the insight landscape and with the acquisition
of Yabble, YouGov is strongly positioned to take advantage of this change.
Early adopters of Yabble's pioneering technology include some of the most
data-savvy brands. I have seen how powerful the combination of YouGov's data
and Yabble's technology is, and I am excited for more clients to experience
this. This acquisition will transform the way our clients derive insights from
YouGov Profiles' two million datapoints and gain maximum value from YouGov's
unique dataset.

 

We have been building towards this acquisition over the past six months and
we're excited to welcome Kathryn and Yabble's team of world leading prompt
engineers, machine learning experts and data and analytics professionals to
YouGov."

 

Kathryn Topp, Yabble Co-Founder and CEO:

 

"The best AI runs on the best quality data and YouGov's proprietary panel is
the gold standard in attitude and opinion data. The combination of Yabble's
cutting-edge AI tools and YouGov's quality dataset will provide clients with
the best, fastest, most effortless insights available.

 

"But this is just the beginning. Yabble has the largest domain expertise in
the space, the most sophisticated technology and algorithms to be able to get
at the best answers. When combined with YouGov's increasing volume of
best-in-market behavioural data, it provides a blueprint for the future of
what research and insights should be and we look forward to joining the YouGov
family."

 

Additional Listing

 

Yabble has been wholly acquired by YouGov through a combination of cash and a
three year earn-out based on specific revenue targets being met. The initial
cash consideration for the acquisition is £4.5 million and has been funded
through existing cash resources, with the sellers agreeing to apply a portion
of the cash proceeds towards a phased subscription for Ordinary Shares (as
defined below) in YouGov, at their market value.

 

The Group announces that application has therefore been made to the London
Stock Exchange for 546,951 new ordinary shares of 0.2 pence each in the
Company ('Ordinary Shares') to be admitted to AIM.

 

The new Ordinary Shares will, upon issue, rank pari passu with the existing
ordinary share capital of the Company. It is expected that admission will
become effective on 09 August 2024.

 

Following the issue and allotment of the new Ordinary Shares as described
above, the Company will have 117,673,290 Ordinary Shares in issue. No Ordinary
Shares are held in treasury.

Enquiries:

 

 YouGov plc

 Steve Hatch, CEO

 Alex McIntosh, CFO                                             020 7012 6000

 Hannah Jethwani, Investor Relations Director

 FTI Consulting

                                                              020 3727 1000
 Charles Palmer / Valerija Cymbal / Jemima Gurney

 Deutsche Numis (NOMAD and Joint Broker)

 Nick Westlake / Iqra Amin                                      020 7260 1000

 Berenberg (Joint Broker)

 Mark Whitmore / Richard Andrews / Alix Mecklenburg-Solodkoff   020 3207 7800

 

About YouGov

 

YouGov is an international online research data and analytics technology
group.

 

Our mission is to offer unparalleled insight into what the world thinks.

 

Our innovative solutions help the world's most recognised brands, media owners
and agencies to plan, activate and track their marketing activities better.

 

With operations in the UK, the Americas, Europe, the Middle
East, India and Asia Pacific, we have one of the world's largest research
networks.

 

At the core of our platform is an ever-growing source of consumer data that
has been amassed over our twenty years of operation. We call it Living Data.
All of our products and services draw upon this detailed understanding of our
27+ million registered panel members to deliver accurate, actionable consumer
insights.

 

As innovators and pioneers of online market research, we have a strong
reputation as a trusted source of accurate data and insights. Testament to
this, YouGov data is regularly referenced by the global press, and we are the
most quoted market research source in the world.

 

YouGov. Living Consumer Intelligence.

 

For further information, visit business.yougov.com

 

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  ACQQKPBDDBKBFFK