IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: IZEA), the premier provider of
influencer marketing technology, data, and services for the world’s
leading brands and agencies, announced today it has acquired Hoozu,
Australia’s leading influencer marketing company headquartered in
Sydney. The company serves a roster of the region’s most innovative
brands, including Bunnings, Emma Sleep, Super Cheap Auto, and
Ryobi. In addition to its core services, Hoozu’s talent management
division, called Huume, represents creators in the Australian
market.
IZEA has been at the
forefront of the creator economy since 2006, when its founder and
CEO, Ted Murphy, created the world’s first influencer marketing
platform — launching the influencer marketing industry. Over the
past 17 years, IZEA has grown into a multi-national public company,
serving some of the world's top marketers and creators. The company
has executed influencer marketing programs for half of the Fortune
50 and recently surpassed 1 million registered users on its
influencer marketing platforms.
“Acquiring Hoozu
represents a significant milestone for IZEA in the Asia-Pacific
region and establishes a beachhead for us in Oceania,” said Murphy.
“We have seen organic global growth in recent years through our
efforts in the U.K., China, and South Korea, and our acquisition of
Hoozu builds on that momentum.”
“We are excited to
welcome the Hoozu team into the IZEA group of companies,” continued
Murphy. “As a respected leader in its market, Hoozu will operate as
a stand-alone, wholly-owned subsidiary of IZEA Worldwide. Going
forward, we see the potential for continued inorganic growth with
Hoozu serving as the principal company for additional acquisitions
in the region.”
“This acquisition not
only expands our geographic footprint, it adds new capabilities in
other areas in the growing creator economy,” added Ryan Schram,
President and Chief Operating Officer of IZEA. “In addition to
Hoozu’s core influencer marketing managed services business, the
company will continue to own and operate Huume, a talent agency
focusing on Australian influencers and creators.”
“IZEA’s capital,
technology, and global influencer marketing resources will support
and strengthen Hoozu’s long-standing presence in the region, and we
look forward to what lies ahead,” continued Schram.
With nearly a decade of
experience in the market, Hoozu is recognized for its brand
credibility and equity across Australia. It was co-founded by
entrepreneur Nathan Ruff and professional football player Lote
Tuqiri. After acquiring The Remarkables Group in 2021, it appointed
market specialist Natalie Giddings as CEO, who will continue in the
role while reporting to Schram.
“Joining an established
global leader such as IZEA enables Hoozu to service its clients
with leading technology, more extensive data, and best practices
which will increase our campaign quality and performance,” said
Giddings. “It’s wonderful to be involved with a company that has
been leading the industry from the front globally for so long. This
alliance signifies that change is coming to the market.”
Ruff, co-founder of
Hoozu, said: “As the market matures, we expect to see a stage of
consolidation of creator economy companies. We are excited to be a
key part of IZEA’s global growth plans and help them expand both
organically and inorganically in the region.”Hoozu Holdings Limited
and all subsidiaries have been fully acquired by IZEA. The
transaction consideration is a mix of cash and stock, with deferred
payments tied to KPI performance. Hoozu grew from 2022 to 2023
(June fiscal) and was profitable in both years. IZEA intends to
invest resources to fuel additional growth, including the expansion
of sales personnel and overall capabilities.
If you are a creator
economy company looking to partner or inquire about an acquisition,
visit izea.com/partners/acquisitions. For news and resources,
follow IZEA at x.com/izea.
About IZEA Worldwide, Inc.
IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (“IZEA”) is a marketing
technology company providing software and professional services
that enable brands to collaborate and transact with the full
spectrum of today’s top social influencers and content creators.
The company serves as a champion for the growing Creator Economy,
enabling individuals to monetize their content, creativity, and
influence. IZEA launched the industry’s first-ever influencer
marketing platform in 2006 and has since facilitated nearly 4
million transactions between online buyers and sellers. Leading
brands and agencies partner with IZEA to increase digital
engagement, diversify brand voice, scale content production, and
drive a measurable return on investment.
About Hoozu
Hoozu, a trailblazer in the influencer marketing
industry for over a decade, is Australia’s leading influencer
marketing company. Based in Sydney, with local team members in
Melbourne, Hoozu partners with an impressive roster of the region’s
brands. Renowned for its comprehensive program management, Hoozu
offers a suite of services designed to maximize the impact of
influencer marketing campaigns. These services include strategic
planning, influencer and creator quality assessment, briefing and
contracting, in-depth reporting and insights, and content
amplification. Hoozu also has a talent management division called
Huume that focuses on influencers in the Australian market.
Safe Harbor Statement
All statements in this release that are not based
on historical fact are “forward-looking statements” intended to
qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our
future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be
identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “may,”
“will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “hope,”
“estimate,” “believe,” “intend,” “optimistic,” "likely,"
"projects," “plans,” "pursue," "strategy" or "future," or the
negative of these words or other words or expressions of similar
meaning. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among
others, statements we make regarding expectations concerning IZEA’s
ability to increase revenue and bookings, growth or maintenance of
customer relationships, and expectations concerning IZEA’s business
strategy. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and
uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially
from those in the forward-looking statements, as a result of
various factors including, among others, the following: competitive
conditions in the content and social sponsorship segment in which
IZEA operates; failure to popularize one or more of the marketplace
platforms of IZEA; our ability to integrate the acquired business
of Hoozu Holdings Ltd within expected timeframes and to achieve the
revenue, cost savings and earnings levels from such acquisition at
or above the levels projected; changing economic conditions that
are less favorable than expected; and other risks and uncertainties
described in IZEA’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements made in this
release speak only as of the date of this release, and IZEA assumes
no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements to
reflect actual results or changes in expectations, except as
otherwise required by law.
- IZEA Announces Acquisition of Australian Influencer Marketing
Leader Hoozu
Matt Gray
IZEA Worldwide, Inc.
Phone: 407-674-6911
Email: pr@izea.com
Australian Media:
Justin Kelly
M+C Partners
Phone: 0408 215 858
Email: justin.kelly@mcpartners.com.au
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