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
Hannah Jethwani, Investor Relations
Director
|
020 7012
6000
|
|
FTI
Consulting
Charles Palmer / Valerija Cymbal /
Jemima Gurney
|
020 3727 1000
|
|
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