Purch Group, Inc. was a
New York City-based digital media company. Originally established in 2003 as TechMedia Network, Inc., it was positioned as a "portfolio of brands and products focused on purchasing decisions"—consisting primarily of websites focusing on reviews of
consumer electronics, positioned to marketers as outlets to "
directly engage with buyers in the right place, at the right time".
In 2018, Purch sold its consumer brands to
Future plc. Its
business-to-business
Business-to-business (B2B or, in some countries, BtoB) is a situation where one business makes a commercial transaction with another. This typically occurs when:
* A business is sourcing materials for their production process for output (e.g., a ...
unit
Business.com
Business.com is a digital media company and B2B web destination which offers various performance marketing advertising, including lead generation products on a pay per lead and pay per click basis, directory listings, and display advertising. ...
was not included in the sale.
History
In 2009, Purch, then known as TechMedia Network, Inc. acquired
LiveScience,
Space.com and
Newsarama from Imaginova. Two years later, TechMedia Network acquired Laptop Magazine from Bedford Communications. In July 2013, the company acquired Bestofmedia Group, publisher of
Tom's Hardware,
Tom's Guide, Tom's IT Pro,
Anandtech
''AnandTech'' is an online computer hardware magazine owned by Future plc. It was founded in 1997 by then-14-year-old Anand Lal Shimpi, who served as CEO and editor-in-chief until August 30, 2014, with Ryan Smith replacing him as editor-in-chief ...
and a variety of sister publications across Europe. TechMedia Network, Inc. acquired BuyerZone.com, LLC from
Reed Business Information in early 2014.
In April 2014, TechMedia Network. changed its name to Purch and simultaneously announced an exclusive partnership with Mobile Nations, a portfolio of mobile-focused online communities. In December 2014, Purch announced the acquisition of
AnandTech
''AnandTech'' is an online computer hardware magazine owned by Future plc. It was founded in 1997 by then-14-year-old Anand Lal Shimpi, who served as CEO and editor-in-chief until August 30, 2014, with Ryan Smith replacing him as editor-in-chief ...
and in March 2015 the company announced the acquisition of mobile shopping app Consumr, which was rebranded that following July as Purchx. Included in the rebrand was the launch of the Purch Marketplace, where shoppers can browse and buy technology products and services online. In September 2015, Purch acquired Active Junky, a
loyalty program and online shopping site for outdoor gear. This was followed by the December 2015 acquisition of ShopSavvy, a mobile shopping app.
Purch's 2015 round of funding ($135 million) was led by Canso Investment Counsel. Purch has received additional funding from
ABS Capital Partners, Village Ventures, and Highway 12 Ventures. Purch was headquartered in New York City, where Greg Mason served as CEO.
In 2018, Purch announced that it would sell its consumer brands to British media company
Future plc for $132.5 million. Its business-to-business operations were retained under the
Business.com
Business.com is a digital media company and B2B web destination which offers various performance marketing advertising, including lead generation products on a pay per lead and pay per click basis, directory listings, and display advertising. ...
banner (which it had acquired in 2016).
List of websites
The company owned and operated the following websites:
* Active Junky
*
AnandTech
''AnandTech'' is an online computer hardware magazine owned by Future plc. It was founded in 1997 by then-14-year-old Anand Lal Shimpi, who served as CEO and editor-in-chief until August 30, 2014, with Ryan Smith replacing him as editor-in-chief ...
* Consumr
* Herman Street
* Laptop Mag
*
LiveScience
*
Newsarama
* ShopSavvy
*
Space.com
* Tom's Guide
* Tom's Guide (France)
*
Tom's Hardware
* Tom's Hardware (France)
* Tom's Hardware (Italy)
* Tom's Hardware (UK)
* Tom's IT Pro
* Top Ten Reviews
Following websites were not included during the sale to Future, and went under Business.com:
* Business News Daily
*
Business.com
Business.com is a digital media company and B2B web destination which offers various performance marketing advertising, including lead generation products on a pay per lead and pay per click basis, directory listings, and display advertising. ...
* BuyerZone
References
External links
*
{{Future plc
Digital media
Mass media companies of the United States
2018 disestablishments in New York (state)
2018 mergers and acquisitions