NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Petsky Prunier is pleased to announce it has advised Brand Value Accelerator (BVAccel), one of the largest and fastest growing Shopify Plus agencies, on its majority investment from August Spark, the newly-formed family office of Michael Cassidy, founder and former CEO of leading advertising technology company Undertone, which was acquired by marketing software firm Perion in 2015.
Founded in 2013, BVAccel boasts a successful track-record of scaling innovative brands, including MVMT Watches, RedBull, Rebecca Minkoff, Tommy John, Chubbies, Untuckit, and Boll & Branch, among others. As one of the earliest Shopify Plus agency partners, BVAccel has designed, developed, and optimized cutting-edge eCommerce storefronts for hundreds of digital brands. Customers also leverage BVAccel’s marketing services for the agency’s unique understanding of the customer journey and ability to drive decision-making through data. This combination of eCommerce, design, and marketing expertise creates a unique offering for high-growth, high-volume brands looking to serve consumers across multiple channels and devices.
BVAccel has been recognized as a member of the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies and has also been named one of the Best Companies to Work for in San Diego by San Diego Business Journal. Headquartered in San Diego, with additional offices in Columbus, Los Angeles, and New York City, the BVAccel team consists of more than 125 eCommerce strategists, designers, developers, data scientists, marketers, and more.
In partnership with August Spark, BVAccel plans to increase headcount in key areas, including sales, marketing, and service lines, as well as invest in employee development and training. Additionally, the investment will allow BVAccel to accelerate its product roadmap significantly, while building new capabilities to support global customers, including Amazon, offline sales support, and more. August Spark founders, Michael Cassidy and Stephen Wall, will join BVAccel’s board of directors as part of the transaction.
August Spark is a New York City-based family office focused on investments in marketing, technology, and business services. The firm invests in profitable companies that allow its team to leverage their expertise in sales and marketing, setting and executing against growth strategy initiatives, building and supporting a great company culture, and digital transformations. The acquisition of BVAccel is the first transaction for the August Spark team.
Petsky Prunier, with a team led by JP Michaud and Greg Staton, served as the exclusive financial advisor to BVAccel.
“We were immediately impressed with the clear market expertise the Petsky Prunier team demonstrated in articulating the differentiated value we had built at BVAccel. The Petsky Prunier team brought a range of attractive partners to the table, broadening our view as sellers and, ultimately, allowing us to land with the best partner to accelerate our growth during the next chapter of BVAccel. I look forward to continuing our relationship with the Petsky Prunier team in the years to come."
Kyle Widrick, Co-founder, BVAccel
About Petsky Prunier LLC
Petsky Prunier is one of the leading investment banks to the technology, media, marketing, information, eCommerce, and healthcare industries. Our firm's merger and acquisition and private placement advisory services reflect a unique blend of product specialization and industry expertise. Together with strategic consulting firm Winterberry Group, a Petsky Prunier company, our organization represents one of the largest industry-specific advisors providing strategic and transactional services. We offer global reach supplemented through our partnerships in China and India. Securities transactions are processed through Petsky Prunier Securities LLC, a member of FINRA, and an affiliated entity. For more information, visit www.petskyprunier.com.
