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GCA expands its sector and geographic footprint via acquisition of Stella EOC

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Combination expands GCA’s coverage across key M&A markets in Europe and further strengthens its leading global Technology and Media practice

  • GCA Corporation is a leading global investment bank focused on growth companies
  • Stella EOC is an established M&A boutique having completed over 230 transactions since formation
  • Stella EOC will be fully integrated into GCA’s business with immediate effect
  • Transaction adds key markets in the Nordics and Benelux to GCA’s coverage across Europe, the US and Asia
  • Stella EOC’s leading position in several technology verticals and in the global entertainment space provides a strong synergy with GCA’s operations across the world
  • GCA will comprise 400 expert bankers globally

​​February 14th, 2020 – GCA Corporation, a leading global investment bank, has today announced that it will acquire Stella EOC, a leading technology and media investment banking boutique with coverage in the Nordics, the UK and continental Europe. This combination, which sees Stella EOC adopting the brand of GCA’s European business, GCA Altium, expands GCA’s coverage into further key strategic markets including Benelux and the Nordics, strengthening its already leading technology practice and adding expertise in the media and global entertainment space.

Upon completion of the transaction, GCA will employ more than 400 bankers and operate across 25 locations in 14 countries. In 2019 the two companies generated around USD 240m revenues and advised on a combined completed 190 deals.

Together, GCA and Stella EOC will continue to focus on high growth sectors, particularly in the media, technology and tech-related areas. The substantial opportunities for synergies between the businesses are expected to boost revenue growth through extended global coverage and increased cross-border capabilities. GCA will continue to provide its clients, ranging from the world’s largest conglomerates and corporates to the top financial sponsors and growth companies, with a broad offering of investment banking advisory services including M&A, debt and equity capital markets.

“We are pleased to announce our acquisition of Stella EOC. GCA and Stella EOC are a great fit in that we can expand our coverage even further into the Nordics and Benelux, where we have to date not had a presence and where we see exciting opportunities for our clients across the globe. Stella EOC is a leader in the technology and media M&A space and as such perfectly complements our strong technology sector focus,” said Phil Adams, GCA Board Member and CEO of GCA Altium.

Fredrik Malmberg, Managing Partner at Stella EOC, added: “This combination with GCA marks a new chapter for Stella EOC. After a sustained period of growth and having delivered landmark tech and media transactions across Europe, we’re delighted to embark on this next phase, extending our expertise to the US and Asia and delivering a wider range of services to our clients and stakeholders.”

Fellow Stella EOC Managing Partner, Kristoffer Källeskog, also commented: “The synergies between GCA and Stella EOC are vast, and we will be able to offer our clients an even better service as part of GCA’s truly global platform. Their well-established US, Asian, UK and continental European practices, extensive track record across our sectors and large team will enable us to deliver outstanding outcomes all round.”

Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both GCA and Stella EOC, GCA will purchase 100% of Stella EOC via an all share acquisition. The transaction is expected to close in April 2020.

Key recent deals by both firms include:

  • The public-to-private acquisition of data management leader Cxense by Piano Software, a leading provider of digital content monetization and audience intelligence software
  • The acquisition by Oracle of Crowdtwist, a leading cloud-native customer loyalty solution to empower brands to offer personalized customer experiences
  • The partnership investment in Mediatonic, the UK’s leading independent mobile live games developer, by Synova Capital
  • The acquisition of Gabocom, a leading provider of highly engineered, high-quality cable management and protection solutions for the telecommunications industry, by Aptiv, a global technology company enabling the future of mobility
  • The investment in Acronis, a global leader in Cyber Protection software, by Goldman Sachs
  • The strategic partnership of General Atlantic with Powercloud, a fast-growing provider of comprehensive cloud solutions for the energy sector
  • The sale by Marlin Equity of a majority stake in Qualitest, the world’s largest pure-play outsourced software testing and quality assurance specialist, to Bridgepoint
  • The sale of high growth D2C e-commerce company iDeal of Sweden to Altor, who have a total of €4.2bn investments across the Nordics
  • The sale of Amsterdam-based SaaS leader Usabilla to the US-listed and market leader SurveyMonkey
  • The launch of Sister, which saw Freelands, Elisabeth Murdoch’s investment vehicle, partnering with Emmy Award winning Sister Pictures and creating a new, leading global indie production company

About GCA
GCA is a global investment bank that provides strategic M&A and capital markets advisory services to growth companies and market leaders. Following the merger with Stella EOC, GCA offers worldwide coverage with 400 professionals in 25 locations across America, Asia and Europe. Built by the people that run the business, GCA is a firm of experts who focus on deals that require commitment, original perspective, skill and exceptional networks. 

For further information about GCA, please visit www.gcaglobal.com

About Stella EOC
Stella EOC is a leading European technology and media investment banking boutique. Since inception, they have worked alongside some of the world’s most successful companies, entrepreneurs and investors, helping them reach their full potential. Their team’s unrivalled expertise has seen them advise on over 230 mid-market transactions to date, from mergers, trade and financial sales, carve-outs and leveraged buy-outs to acquisitions, fund raises, debt advisory, strategic advising and more.

For further information on Stella EOC head to their website: www.stellaeoc.com

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