RWS nears deal to buy IP platform Obviously for up to PS40 million

RWS Holdings PLC on Tuesday said it has agreed in principle to buy Obviously Group Ltd, an intellectual property and brand management platform, for up to £40 million in total.

The Maidenhead, England-based language services and artificial intelligence solutions provider said it is in advanced and exclusive discussions to finalise and enter into definitive legally binding transaction documents.

The two companies have reached an agreement in principle on all substantive terms, RWS added.

The company said the deal would position it as a provider of an ‘innovative end-to-end brand lifecycle technology solution’.

The acquisition would expand RWS’s total addressable market by around £2 billion, it added, through expansion into trademark and brand protection solutions.

‘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,’ it said.

The acquisition is expected to comprise an initial cash consideration of £16.5 million, on a cash-free, debt-free basis, with earn-out payments of up to £23.5 million.

These would be payable, dependent on earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation-related performance hurdles in the 2027, 2028 and 2029 financial years. The total consideration would be capped at £40 million.

In the 12 months to the end of February, Obviously generated revenue of around £2.5 million with a loss of £1.5 million.

RWS said the business will continued to be managed by its current Chief Executive Officer Lewis Whiting as part of RWS’s Protect segment, if the acquisition completes.

RWS noted that there can be no certainty that a transaction will ultimately be agreed.

‘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,’ said RWS CEO Benjamin Faes.

‘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.’

Shares in RWS were up 4.1% at 96.00 pence on Tuesday morning in London.

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