Financial Times (FT), a leading publisher on business, has taken a majority stake in online tech media company TNW (The Next Web). This is the first majority stake of FT in continental Europe. With this, TNW has a partner to grow further in the Netherlands and abroad in the coming years.
With this deal, FT increases its reach in the European technology community and creates synergies in several areas with its own existing business, such as FT (media) and FT Live (events).
“TNW is an established and profitable business that produces one of the largest and most critically acclaimed tech events in Europe.” There are clear synergies between TNW and the FT, in sharing audiences and delivering the FT’s world-class journalism on live internships in Europe. are excited to start working with our new partners and their network in the tech ecosystem,” says Angela Mackay, FT Live Managing Director.
TNW is mainly known in the Netherlands by TNW Conference and worldwide by their English language technology site. In addition, the company has successfully rolled out a strategy in recent years to focus on multiple revenue streams. TNW opened as a tech hub in the heart of Amsterdam ( tq.co ), it started a startup database ( index.co ) and launched unique innovation programs for corporates and governments via TNW X.
At the beginning of February, TNW and FT announced a new content collaboration for TNW Conference (9-10 May in Amsterdam). Here, FT will program one of the tracks and host it in collaboration with TNW The Assembly. The Assembly is an exclusive meeting for leaders in technology, business and politics.
TNW continues to operate independently and the management team and the founders (Boris Veldhuijzen of Zanten and Patrick de Laive) will stay on to implement the vision that the company has set.
“It is a huge honour to work together with a history, which is so well respected and well known around the world. FT is a global vision for the future, where business and technology are converging and forming the thriving force of our society. We look forward to working together in this digital-first-age and combining our expertise, networks and influence, says Boris Veldhuijzen from Zanten, Founder and CEO TNW.
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