UmbrellaBrand Group Acquires Market Research Technology Firm CMNTY

NEW YORK CITY – UTRECHT (NL) October 26 – The Dutch UmbrellaBrand Group has acquired CMNTY Corporation. The New York City based company, with its origins in The Netherlands, specializes in software for online qualitative research.

By acquiring CMNTY, UmbrellaBrand Group takes two important steps in the realization of its strategy: setting up a software house for marketing solutions and entering the American market.

Mr. Jorgen Botermans, CEO UmbrellaBrand Group: “With this acquisition we respond to the growing need of companies to be able to conduct in-house research with user-friendly digital tooling. In addition, the CMNTY platform also offers solutions for professional research agencies. Our goal is to build a software house with a complete portfolio of digital marketing solutions, in addition to the data solutions and high-end market research that we already offer. Our successful products such as Direct Feedback (experience management software), quantitative data collection software SmartAllies, Ennis and the Customer Data Platform Connect, will eventually also form part of this software house.”

Tech Company with Research Expertise

Founder Mr. Maxim Schram will stay on as CEO of CMNTY and will also lead the development of the software house. “In fourteen years, we have built a strong and leading position in online qualitative research. Thanks to this acquisition, we can keep innovating and stay ahead of the curve. This is a very logical step for us; we are primarily a tech company that develops software for market researchers. Being part of the UmbrellaBrand Group now gives us direct access to deep and broad expertise in qualitative and quantitative research and insights, allowing us to further align our solutions with our customers’ needs.”

Stepping-stone

CMNTY Corporation was founded in 2007 in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, but nowadays generates more than half of its turnover in the United States and Canada. Mr. Botermans: “For us, this is a stepping-stone to the large North American market and it enables us to give substance to our international ambitions.”

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UmbrellaBrand Group consists of MarketResponse, 4orange, Wonder Insights and RealTime Lead Group. These top-notch agencies offer complementary services in the areas of data, insights and creative consultancy. With the combination of data, expertise and technology, they form a leading international platform for data-driven growth.

CMNTY is a global tech firm providing software for doing online qualitative research and building insights communities. For over a decade, the company’s innovative Do-It- Yourself solution has been part of the research toolkit of Fortune 500 firms and market research agencies worldwide. Hundreds of insights professionals use CMNTY daily to connect, engage and better understand their target audience.

ECFG Venture Capital has supported CMNTY since the first investment rounds and stays involved in this collaboration. The investment team of ECFG has guided the transaction.