ABS Capital Partners provides funds to unite consumer engagement powerhouses Viewpoints and PowerReviews
July 9, 2014 – CHICAGO – PowerReviews a leading provider of ratings and reviews and questions and answers technology to more than 1,000 brands and retailers, announced today that it has secured $35 million in Series B equity funding, led by ABS Capital Partners, a leading investor in later-stage growth companies.
PowerReviews, Inc., is a newly-formed entity resulting from the acquisition of PowerReviews LLC by consumer review platform Viewpoints. With the completed acquisition, the companies have merged under the PowerReviews brand to lead the consumer engagement market.
The financing was primarily used in the purchase of PowerReviews and will also help to fund further growth initiatives. ABS Capital general partners Paul Mariani and Ralph Terkowitz will join the company’s board of directors.
“Presented with a unique opportunity to re-establish choice and innovation in the consumer engagement market, PowerReviews is optimally positioned to reinvigorate this market,” said PowerReviews CEO Matt Moog. “Fueled by ABS Capital’s investment, we are focused on the growing opportunities for brands and retailers to further engage with consumers both online and in-store, through social and mobile platforms. We’re dedicated to helping companies use ratings and reviews to remain competitive in an increasingly omnichannel market.”
PowerReviews is well positioned to capitalize on four significant trends: ecommerce, mobile, social, and data analytics. A recent study found that 79% percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. The PowerReviews Consumer Engagement Engine helps brands and retailers deliver on the value of customer reviews by providing the tools and technology to collect customer ratings, reviews, questions and answers; promote and syndicate that content via major retailer sites and search engines; and provide review analytics and insights to identify and implement best practices and improve products and services.
“Matt saw a great opportunity when the PowerReviews business became available, and we were excited to work with him to quickly seize that opportunity,” said Mariani. “Consumer engagement is a rapidly changing space, and the PowerReviews solutions are of increasing value to businesses trying to optimize both their online and in-store channels. Matt is an experienced leader and we’re excited to be working with PowerReviews in this important stage of growth.”
Joining Moog on the executive team are e-commerce veterans Jim Morris, CTO; Matt Parsons, Chief Customer Officer; and Chris Lubkert, SVP Strategy and Operations.
ABOUT POWERREVIEWS
PowerReviews, founded in 2005, delivers a leading Consumer Engagement Engine that helps companies engage with consumers everywhere at the moment of purchase. A true Software-as-a-Service that is easy to implement and customize, PowerReviews provides customer review and Q&A capabilities that are proven to drive sales, improve the customer experience, and create actionable insights.
With more than 1,000 active brands and retailers worldwide, PowerReviews delivers content origination capabilities and a syndication network that includes nearly every major retailer and search engine, making reviews – proven to be the most effective tool for increasing purchases – widely available. PowerReviews metrics, analytics, and expert services help brands and retailers continually improve efforts to get consumers engaged. For more information, visit www.powerreviews.com .
ABOUT ABS CAPITAL PARTNERS
At ABS Capital Partners, we have a simple mission–to invest in the very best late-stage growth companies. Our singular focus has allowed us to cultivate a deep understanding of what it takes to get promising businesses to the next level. Our priority is finding the best growth companies—not completing certain types of transactions or investing specific amounts of dollars. Our flexibility allows us to structure the right deal to support a company’s growth trajectory and particular needs. We actively partner with CEOs to tackle the challenges of rapid expansion and create significant long-term value. Our partners are highly experienced at working with growth companies—each having spent between one and three decades in their industry as C-level executives, investment bankers, consultants or investors.
ABS Capital Partners specializes in four growth sectors—business and education services, health care, media and communications, and technology—and has invested in over 100 growth companies over the past two decades. With over $2 billion raised since inception, including $500 million in its latest fund, ABS Capital continues to build on its strong reputation for teaming with CEOs and market leaders to deliver strong returns to investors. For more information, please visit www.abscapital.com .
MEDIA CONTACTS:
For PowerReviews:
Andrew Cross
Walker Sands Communications
312-235-6982
andrew.cross@walkersands.com
For ABS Capital Partners:
Stephanie Carter
ABS Capital Partners
410-246-5609
scarter@abscapital.com
