After AKQA Sale, Indie LBi Seeks Buyers

http://adage.com/article/agency-news/akqa-sale-indie-lbi-seeks-buyers/235587/

In the wake of WPP's snapping up AKQA for $540 million, Ad Age has learned that Amsterdam-based LBi is reaching out to potential buyers, according to two executives familiar with the process.

LBi has less brand cachet than AKQA but is actually bigger, with nearly twice as many employees. Its revenue was just under $250 million in 2011 with $22 million in net profit, according to its annual report. (AKQA has 1,160 people and $189 million in 2011 revenue, according to WPP.)

The top 10 digital networks by revenue are all owned by major publicly traded marketing-services companies and there are only a few top-50 agencies ranked by U.S. revenue that are not holding-company-backed. Those include: MediaWhiz, owned by private-equity-backed Hyper Marketing; Acquity Group; Resource Interactive; Gyro; and MePlusYou (formerly known as IMC2).