Dailyhunt-parent VerSe acquires digital marketing firm Valueleaf

​​VerSe Innovation, the parent company of vernacular news aggregator Dailyhunt and Josh, has acquired digital marketing firm Valueleaf Group in a cash and equity deal.

This move is expected to boost VerSe's growth, with projected additional revenue of $100 million and a 10% EBITDA margin in FY25, the company said in the press release.

The acquisition will generate powerful synergies by merging VerSe Innovation’s advertising tech stack and data management platform with Valueleaf’s performance data, extensive supply-side integrations, and industry-focused solutions, delivering superior Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) for advertisers, according to the press release.

“The acquisition of Valueleaf Group will position us for substantial revenue growth. With the integration of Valueleaf’s data-driven insights with our ad tech platform, we anticipate a marked increase in advertising efficiency and effectiveness, driving higher-value partnerships,” Umang Bedi and Virendra Gupta, cofounders of Verse, said in a joint statement.

In April, Verse acquired Magzter, a global digital newsstand with a library of more than 8,500 premium magazines and newspapers to foray into premium content to become India’s largest digital media tech conglomerate.

Dailyhunt has raised over $1.5 billion across several rounds to date and was last valued at $5 billion in its last equity round when it raked in $805 million led by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in April 2022.

As per the data intelligence platform TheKredible, VerSe’s overall revenue grew by 57% Y-o-Y to Rs 1,809 crore in FY23 from Rs 1,151 crore in FY22 whereas its losses stood at Rs 2,059 crore in FY23. The firm is yet to file its FY24 audited numbers.