Bure Invests in RelevantKnowledge
Bure Invests in RelevantKnowledge,USA's leading Web-measuring company Bure IT/InfoMedia has acquired a 6 per cent shareholding in RelevantKnowledge with an option to acquire additional shares in the company. RelevantKnowledge is the leading company in the USA for measuring the Web universe. RelevantKnowledge had developed a tool and a method which with demographic and comparable facts is able to measure the visitor frequency on the Net. The method means that it is now possible to measure objectively the business benefit covering, for example, Web trading and advertising. RelevantKnowledge uses a panel which has been specially recruited to form a representative selection of all Web-users. A software program is installed in the panellists' computers and makes possible the transfer of information in real time of their behaviour on the Net. The result is compiled and can then be presented on classified on age, gender, family situation, income and profession. RelevantKnowledge was established in autumn 1996 and currently has more than 6,500 panel members all over the USA. The first reported measurings were presented in autumn 1997. Customers consist of advertisers, media brokers and media companies. Among the company's major customers are General Motors, IBM and Intel. 1998 sales of RelevantKnowledge are estimated at approximately SEK 25M. The company plans a stockmarket introduction within two years. Bure's investment is USD 2M and is equivalent to approximately 6 per cent of the shares in RelevantKnowledge with an option for an additional approximately 5 per cent shares in the company during 1999. Other investors include J H Whitney, Robertson Stephens and Lazard Freres. "The use of various web services is increasing strongly in, for example, electronic trading and advertising and as a result the need is also increasing for sophisticated measuring and analyses of the business benefit. We see a significant market potential for RelevantKnowledge not least here in Europe," says Ulf Ivarsson, Head of Business Area Bure IT/InfoMedia. "The investment also means that, through Bure, RelevantKnowledge will now get an opportunity to transfer new technology from the USA to other markets in Europe and Asia." Sifo Group has via its subsidiary, Sifo Interactive Media, signed an exclusive license right for RelevantKnowledge covering all the Nordic countries. In accordance with a decision by the Annual General Meeting of Scribona in spring 1998, the shares in Sifo Group will be distributed to Scribona's shareholders and listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange during autumn. As a result, Sifo Group becomes a partly-owned subsidiary of Bure IT/InfoMedia. Bure IT/InfoMedia currently operates in IT services, Information Services and Trading and Distribution with companies such as CR&T, Dimension, Salcom, Udac, Citat Mediaproduktion and the two listed companies, Guide Konsult and Scribona. In 1998, sales by the Business Area are expected to amount to approximately SEK 11,000M. Gothenburg, 1 July 1998 Investment AB Bure (publ) For further information, please contact: Knut Leman, Head of Information Services Telephone: +46 31-335 76 35 Mobile: +46 705-11 76 75 www.bure.se www.relevantknowledge.com