Startups.co.uk acquired by Young Gun-founded company MVF

Startups.co.uk, part of parent company Crimson Startups Limited, is pleased to announce that it has been acquired by MVF – one of the UK’s fastest growing technology companies – for an undisclosed sum.

Established in 2000 by serial entrepreneur David Lester, Startups.co.uk is the longest serving, largest and most comprehensive small business advice platform covering everything there is to know to start, buy, run or sell a company.

Supporting the UK’s start-up and entrepreneurial community, the London-based publisher boasted readership of 4.8 million last year with over 50,000 active forum users. 2016 also saw the company take home the silver accolade for Editorial Team of the Year at the esteemed British Media Awards.

As well as Startups.co.uk, Crimson Startups Limited has run Startups.co.uk’s sister sites Growingbusiness.co.uk, MyBusiness.co.uk and is4profit.com.

Its purchase by MVF – the customer generation and online acquisition specialist previously ranked fourth place in The Sunday Times’ ‘Best companies to work for’ – cements the growth of the Startups.co.uk brand.

The acquisition will see the Startups.co.uk team join over 300 people at MVF’s Kentish Town offices and marks the first of many digital brand purchases for MVF as it looks to accelerate growth.

Launched in 2009 with Growing Business Young Gun Tom Morgan among its founding team, MVF has established brands across several B2B and B2C sectors.

Previously featured in the prestigious Startups 100 index where it ranked among the top five companies, MVF uses informative content, proprietary technology and cross-channel marketing to help customers make smart purchasing decisions, while driving sales for some of the world’s leading corporations.

MVF: CEO Titus Sharpe pictured centre

Following the acquisition, Crimson Startups Limited founder David Lester will be stepping down from the company to focus on his HR start-up citrusHR, which is disrupting HR support for small businesses. Lester will remain involved in an advisory capacity.

Ian Wallis, editorial director of Startups.co.uk, has said that the acquisition marks the next step in the evolution of the Startups.co.uk brand:

“Over the last 17 years, Startups.co.uk has gone from strength to strength and this acquisition – by a company so well aligned with our brand values – will only serve to further growth and enable the site to reach new heights.

“A former Startups 100 company with a Young Gun founder at its helm, there’s no doubt that MVF and Startups.co.uk are the perfect alliance.

“The acquisition strengthens Startups.co.uk’s position and the company will continue to provide the very best help and inspiration for UK business owners operating in a space so vital to the nation’s economy.”

Titus Sharpe, CEO of MVF, continued: “We are delighted to welcome the Startups team to the business. There is a real sense of excitement between Startups and MVF –  they are a really dynamic team who have the same drive and ambition as MVF, and one of the MVF founders was a ‘Young Gun’ back in 2011.

“We hope that we can build on their success and that with our marketing expertise we can grow their already substantial reach.”