LONDON – September 16th, 2021.
German COYO and Finnish Smarp announced they would merge both SaaS companies to become a global leader in the employee communications and employee engagement software space.
The combined organization will be servicing medium-sized and large businesses from offices in the US, Germany, UK, France and Finland, with customers like Salesforce, Google, Amazon, DHL, Deutsche Bahn and E.ON.
By combining Smarp’s employee communications and advocacy portfolio with COYO’s social intranet and employee engagement offering, the new player will address the challenges of an increasingly mobile workforce and how companies can effectively manage change while keeping their employees engaged and motivated.
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred demand for digital workplace solutions. Both companies have seen double-digit topline growth in the past three years featuring a combined customer list of more than 700 companies from various industries. Customers of Smarp and COYO will benefit from an extended portfolio that includes multi-channel communication, social intranet, employee surveys, employee advocacy and a marketplace for widgets and connectors. For the time being both Smarp and COYO will continue to operate under their current brands. Product development and sales of both platforms will be continued.
The transaction has been supported by Marlin Equity Partners, a global investment firm with over $7.6 billion of capital under management. At the same time, the management and founders of Smarp and COYO as well as Smarp’s largest investor, Nauta Capital from London, will be investing in the new firm.
Jan Marius Marquardt, CEO and founder of COYO, comments:
“We are absolutely excited about joining forces as global businesses have never shown a greater need to drive employee engagement as during a pandemic and while their digital transformation has not been completed yet. There is both a need and an opportunity for our two companies to form a global leader based on the combined experience we can bring in.”
Roope Heinilä, CEO and founder of Smarp, says:
“COYO and Marlin are excellent partners for us to take our common vision forward thanks to the compatibility of our products. It has also been a pleasure to see how well our corporate cultures fit together.”
“Thanks to our broader offering, we are able to serve our enterprise-level customers in an even more diverse manner in both Europe and North America. I firmly believe that our customers will gain significant added value by combining COYO’s social intranet and employee surveys with Smarp’s core competencies in employee communications and employee advocacy.”
Additional information:
Jenny Tallholm, CMO, +358 46 923 5388
Sarah Mag, PR & Communications, +491712783772
About COYO
COYO is the 360° Employee Communications Platform that strengthens collaboration, motivation and culture in organizations. With the combination of a social intranet and a social employee app, companies reach all employees and actively support exchange.
As a leading German provider of employee communications software headquartered in Hamburg, COYO offers companies an intuitive and centralized solution that makes it easy to reach all employees, improve internal communication and promote a culture of feedback. COYO allows a device- and location-independent communication channel – for all company-relevant information and social exchange. From hospital operations to passenger transport: more than one million users from companies such as Ritter Sport, Deutsche Bahn, Asklepios and E.ON have already found their digital home in COYO.
About Smarp
Smarp is the #1 mobile-first employee communications platform that helps companies build strong, two-way relationships with their employees – whether they are at their desks or on the go. The platform automatically delivers relevant, personalized content to every employee through whichever platform, medium or channel they prefer. It’s a single solution for companies to drive alignment, productivity and engagement through effective communications.
Over 300 companies across the globe, including Amazon, Salesforce, Swarovski, KPMG and DHL trust Smarp to help them better inform and engage their people.
Curious to learn more? Read about 10 principles of modern employee communications
