Transaction Summary

  • Tomás Diago and Partners Group make up the majority of the shareholders team and lead Softonic together. However, Partners Group acquired 30% of Softonic and is the biggest single shareholder
  • Partners Group will help Softonic to expand internationally, accelerate business development, and fund future acquisitions

Overview of Softonic

  • Softonic is the globally leading online consumer guide for software and apps, that helps people discover and enjoy software on any platform
  • Tomás Diago created the concept behind Softonic in July 1997 and has since built the Company into a top-40 website worldwide with well over 140M users across various types of devices and platforms. Softonic is also the #1 worldwide technology website and leading European-based internet company by traffic
  • Following a successful global expansion, Softonic has become the worldwide #1 platform for software authors to market, distribute and monetize their products in more than 10 languages
  • With well over 160 million monthly downloads, Softonic has unrivalled global distribution power, enabling it to provide a unique one-stop-shop for various types of software advertising
  • Over 160,000 software titles are available on Softonic with expert reviews, articles and videos
  • Softonic has a global organization of about 350 employees, half of which are engineers and expert editors
  • The $150 billion consumer software market has seen a shift away from license fees and software in boxes, towards freemium online/SaaS distribution models, which has been favorable for Softonic
  • Mass-adoption of smartphones, tablets and app stores have led to a proliferation of software and apps
  • These favorable market developments, along with Softonic’s attractive high margin business model and consistent growth track-record, make Softonic a highly attractive investment opportunity that moreover has a healthy pipeline of further growth opportunities for Partners Group

NOAH Advisors’ Role

  • Softonic has been a close relationship of NOAH Advisors for over 3 years
  • In December 2009, NOAH Advisors advised Softonic on its sale of a minority stake to Digital River
  • NOAH had worked intensively with Softonic and its shareholders on various strategic opportunities and discussed a future collaboration between Softonic and Partners Group
  • NOAH Advisors acted as exclusive financial advisor to Softonic and its shareholders, and facilitated a steadfast execution based on in-depth knowledge of the company, the industry, and intelligence around the best potential investor candidates