Silver Bullet Regulatory News (SBDS)

12 May 2022

Silver Bullet Data Services Group plc

("Silverbullet" or the "Company", or, together with its subsidiaries, the "Group")

Joint Venture Agreement with Making Science

Silverbullet (AIM: SBDS), a provider of digital transformation services and products, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Joint Venture Agreement (the "Agreement") with Making Science Group, S.A. (BME:MAKS) ("Making Science") which will see the two companies combining their respective products, services, and talent to deliver solutions for the privacy-first, post-cookie era.

Making Science is an international digital acceleration company with presence in 13 global markets: Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, France, Italy, Germany, the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Georgia, and the US. In 2021, the Company achieved revenue of over €100 million in its core digital business with a growth of 76% over 2020. Making Science has 777 global clients and supports its clients in digital advertising, data analytics, e-commerce, and cloud-based solutions, whilst also acting as a Google Marketing Platform Reselling Partner.

The Agreement will expand the services and products of both companies, from first party data strategy design and deployment, technical implementations and integration across AdTech and MarTech platforms, data and analytics, and post-cookie solutions. It will lead to an attractive Google offering, including expert knowledge and the opportunity of being a Google Marketing Platform Reselling Partner. In addition, it will offer advanced 4D contextual video solutions across YouTube, as well as leverage established partnerships with Salesforce Marketing Cloud and leading CDPs such as Treasure Data, a Softbank-owned platform.

Silverbullet's 4D platform seeks to enable brands to reach their customers in the right place, time and moment, while keeping their brand safe and suitable. 4D's advanced computer vision video solution enables the identification of objects, logos and potentially unsuitable content within video media, allowing for sophisticated targeting across all addressable channels.

José Antonio Martínez Aguilar, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Making Science, commented:

 "We are always looking to increase our capabilities for our clients, and the joint venture with Silverbullet does just that. The expanded talent and product pool accessed by the partnership harnesses not only Silverbullet's reach across the US, UK, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and Australia, but Making Science's significant 'offshore' capabilities as well. This will give our clients and partners the opportunity to expand the scale and scope of their work as we head towards a cookieless future."

Ian James, Chief Executive Officer of Silverbullet, commented:

"The joint venture with Making Science could not be better timed. As Google has confirmed the deprecation of the third-party cookie, our clients are seeking new improved solutions for the privacy-first era. Making Science's deep relationship with Google, extensive talent base, and impressive client relationships blend perfectly with Silverbullet's proprietary 4D product, extensive first-party data skillset, and global client footprint. We believe this will create significant value for both our combined clients and shareholders."

For further information please contact:

The information contained in this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 (which applies in the United Kingdom by operation of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (as amended)). The person responsible for arranging release of this announcement on behalf of Silverbullet is Ian James.

About Silverbullet

Silverbullet's proprietary 4D advertising solution is designed to help advertisers target consumers in a "post cookie world". The product is a natural extension to its existing services business which already serves a blue-chip client base such as Heineken, Channel 4, Amazon, ITV and Jägermeister amongst many others.

The removal of third-party cookies has already been implemented by web browsers such as Firefox and Safari, with Google expected to phase out the use of cookies in 2022. 

Headquartered in London, the Group employs 66 employees across five regions across the globe, including, the UK, Italy, Germany, Australia and the US. The Group continues to look at other opportunities for expansion worldwide.

The Company has an established and growing services business with significant accumulated industry experience and a proven track record of delivering strategic projects and activation services to its clients.

The majority of the Board have held senior positions at global software companies and have significant industry experience across data engineering, SAAS product development and marketing.

The Group has close technical and commercial partnerships with Salesforce, Oracle and Adobe, all of which have existing sales channels and are already delivering to clients.

The Group has established a joint venture and strategic partnership with Local Planet, a scaled network of over 60 agencies across the globe which transact, in aggregate, over US$16 billion of media buying on behalf of their clients. The Local Planet joint venture, established in December 2020, which has already generated material services revenues for the Group, presents a significant opportunity to provide further data services and the 4D product to the Local Planet agency network.

About Making Science

Making Science is an international digital acceleration company with more than 1,000 employees and a presence in 13 markets: Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, France, Italy, Germany, the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Georgia, and the US. Making Science focuses on digital advertising, data analytics, e-commerce, and cloud, all of which are continually expanding.

Making Science was ranked 15th in the FT1000: Europe's Fastest-Growing Companies 2022, in the "Technology" category, and recognized as the fastest-growing Spanish company in the technology sector. Making Science also joined the Pledge1% initiative, supporting non-profit community organisations that are committed to making a major impact on the future.

In 2021, Making Science joined Local Planet, the world's largest network of independent media agencies, as a consulting partner specialising in digital, technology, and performance marketing for the international group, with the acquisition of a 7% stake in the global holding company.