M&A Moves: FiscalNote continues its acquisition streak

M&A Moves is a column where we chart the mergers and acquisitions of tech companies across the region. Have a tip? Email us at dc@technical.ly.

In the latest round of its massive acquisition streak, DC policy software company FiscalNote announced this week that it signed an agreement to acquire Korea’s Aicel Technologies. Aicel, based in Seoul, provides alpha-capturing dataset solutions.

According to FiscalNote, with this pending acquisition, the company has achieved its merger and acquisition goals for the 2021 fiscal year. In 2021, FiscalNote said it had made 10 acquisitions, including DC market intelligence firm FrontierView in December. This deal is expected to close this quarter.

“We’re excited about bringing Aicel into FiscalNote because, much like us, technology has always been core to Aicel’s DNA,” said FiscalNote cofounder and CEO Tim Hwang in a statement. “We look forward to collaborating with Aicel’s team to further penetrate the alternative data and fintech industries, while continuing to develop capabilities to serve the regulated sectors of the future, such as ride-sharing, the gig economy, ecommerce, food delivery, and more.”

This news precedes FiscalNote’s plans to go public this year following a merger with special purpose acquisition company Duddell Street Acquisition Corp. FiscalNote is estimated to be valued at $1.3 billion when the deal closes.

EveryAction was acquired by Apax Partners

In August, DC-based EveryAction was acquired by Apax Partners and joined with software companies Social Solutions and CyberGrants to create a social impact-focused SaaS company valued at $2 billion. Now, the joint conglomerate is making its first acquisition move.

EveryAction, which develops fundraising software, and its partners acquired Network for Good, a DC-based B Corp that provides cloud-based fundraising software for nonprofits. Terms of the deal were not released, but the conglomerate said that the acquisition would strengthen its software offerings for nonprofits.

“We’ve been on a 20-year mission to make fundraising easy for small and mid-sized nonprofits. I am extremely proud of the work we have accomplished to date, and I believe that by partnering with Erin and team we will expand our ability to help nonprofits enhance relationships with their supporters and grow their missions,” said Bill Strathmann, CEO of Network for Good, in a statement. “This is a great home for Network for Good, with its kindred focus on impact, and we are excited to leverage the combined company’s leading software solutions to the benefit of our customers and the sector.”

Comscore acquired Shareablee

As of December, Reston, Virginia’s Comscore, a digital audience measurement service company, has acquired New York’s Shareablee, a media analytics firm.

Through the deal, Comscore said it hopes to expand its Media Metrix and Video Metrix offerings through Sharablee’s social media and video engagement and analysis. Currently, Sharablee offers data analytics and insight to power players including Mondelez, GroupM, ESPN, NBCUniversal and Vox Media. Shareablee’s team, including leaders Tania Yuki (founder and CEO), Greg Dale and Jonathan Lieberman, will stay on following the acquisition.

“Comscore is committed to the future and helping customers have a comprehensive view of the consumer across platforms, while understanding the unique engagement on premium video. The future of measurement would not be complete without including the impressions delivered by the social media platforms,” said Bill Livek, CEO and executive vice chair of Comscore, in a statement. “For marketers, this inclusion into our currencies will present great opportunity to maximize their outcomes on advertising investments. We see many opportunities to help our clients grow their viewing audiences and maximize their impact using social platforms.”

Other merger and acquisition news around the DMV

• DC private equity firm Carlyle acquired McLean, Virginia healthtech firm CNSI from Alvarez & Marsal Capital Partners. CNSI CEO Todd Stottlemyer will stay on after the deal closes.
• Reston, Virginia’s Acclaim Technical Services, a govtech firm specializing in national security, acquired Hanover, Maryland cybersecurity firm Entegra Systems.
• Arlington, Virginia’s Symplicity, which develops student employment tech for higher education, acquired Canada edtech firm Orbis communications.
• Octo, a Reston-based IT modernization company, acquired Herdon, Virginia’s B3 Group, a low/no-code software firm.
• Penn Quarter’s FTI Consulting, a business and financial advisory company, acquired Netherlands-based advisory firm BOLD. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter.
• McLean ai developer Cardinality.ai acquired Washington state’s ClearCycle, which develops health and insurance technology. Terms were not revealed, though ClearCyce will continue under its current name.
• Rockville, Maryland’s Secure Exchange Solutions, a health IT firm, was acquired by Arizona’s Centauri Health Solutions for an undisclosed amount. Secure CEO Boris Shur will join Centauri’s board and President Michele Darnell will oversee the Secure division of Centauri.
• Bethesda, Maryland-based global development company DAI acquired fellow Bethesda lender MicroVest Capital Management to expand its investment arm, DAI Capital.
• Alexandria, Virginia’s Systems Planning and Analysis, which provides advisory and systems engineering offerings, acquired Arena Technologies, a fellow systems engineering firm in Chantilly, Virginia.
• Fairfax IT firm Information Analysis Incorporated acquired blockchain company Gray Matters for $7.5 million in cash, $1.5 million in deferred consideration and $1.5 million in stock.
• Texas-based Dynata, a data platform company, acquired Optimus Analytics, an ai and machine learning company in Alexandria.
• MAI Capital Management, an investment firm in Ohio, acquired Rockville’s Investment Planning Associates, a financial planning firm.
• Virginia Beach, Virginia’s DroneUp, a drone flight services company, acquired Airmap, a California developer of airspace management software.
• Herdon’s ManTech International Corporation, a defense tech firm, acquired Columbia, Maryland’s Technical and Management Assistance Corporation, a data engineering company.