The acquisition of the messaging platform Sendchamp has been verified as a “mid-six-figure” acqui-hire. This deal kicks off the self-reinvention of the 16-year-old acquirer, Whogohost.
According to people with direct knowledge of the deal, Whogohost’s acquisition of the customer messaging platform Sendchamp was a “mid-six-figure” USD deal. TechCabal understands that the deal was a mix of cash and equity, but most of Sendchamp’s early investors—from whom it raised nearly $400,000—chose to convert their equity holdings in Sendchamp to Whogohost shares.
“Whogohost is ultimately copying [GoDaddy’s] playbook,” said Opeyemi Awoyemi, Whogohost’s CEO. The American internet domain registrar and web hosting company has evolved into a partner for growing businesses. Between 2012 and 2022, GoDaddy bought 24 companies that cater to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Whogohost is still in the early stages of its strategy, with Sendchamp being only its third acquisition after buying The Expert Host and iHost Africa in 2016. The addition of Sendchamp will help Whogohost broaden the range of services it offers to a client base that includes Guaranty Trust Bank, Seamfix, and Cool FM.
One day after acquiring Sendchamp, Whogohost began offering access to Bodsquare, Sendchamp’s customer messaging application, to its 100,000 customers at a discount. Additionally, SendChamp’s co-founders, Goodness Kayode and Damilola Olotu, have been named Chief Product Officer and Chief Technology Officer, respectively, at Whogohost, alongside an unspecified number of engineers. Charles Dairo, who has built several applications for businesses told TechCabal, “The acquisition of the Sendchamp team is a very notable aspect of the deal, as their technical expertise is key to Whogohost becoming the GoDaddy of Africa.”
The perfect selling opportunity for Sendchamp
According to Goodness Kayode, Sendchamp’s cofounder, the company had turned down previous acquisition offers and only sold to Whogohost because it liked the opportunity to grow on the back of a company with a deeper pocket and a similar customer base.
“We raised additional funding in 2022, bringing all our raised funds to around $400,000,” said Goodness. “We also serve about 6,000 clients, many of whom are corporate clients like SureBet, and Prudential Zenith, who bring in monthly dollar revenue in five figures many times.” Despite these milestones, Sendchamp was not immune to the broader macroeconomic environment, downsizing its 15-person team earlier in the year.
The acquisition seems like the perfect situation for both companies, and Whogohost believes it will kickstart an evolution in depth and breadth.
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