Irving, TX. Founded in 2002 by Srinivas Thatipally, Deals2Buy is a leading bargain shopping portal for a complete spectrum of consumer products and services. The site aggregates the best consumer deals and pre-purchase discount information across a wide range of products and services sold by thousands of online merchants. With 100% organic traffic (90% direct/type-in traffic), the Company has grown significantly over the last several years and now serves one million unique visitors and nine million page views each month.

The Challenge

In 2009, Mr. Thatipally realized that his company lacked the financial resources necessary to continue to grow the business at a high rate. He decided to consider the option of engaging an outside partner that could offer the resources to take their company to the next level. When he met Arbor Advisors, Mr. Thatipally was impressed with the investment bank’s deal and coupon site expertise and understanding of the market dynamics surrounding their company. Given a variety of successful past transactions, he was confident that Arbor would help him find the right partner for their business.

The Solutions

Austin Ventures purchased Deals2Buy as a centerpiece of a roll-up strategy. This allowed Mr. Thatipally to recognize significant liquidity as well as become part of the dominant player in the deal site space. 

Arbor Value Add

• Contacted over 100 potential investors/acquirers
• Received 4 LOIs
• Provided strategic advice to properly position the company in the market
• Found the buyer who placed the most value on the company
• Structured a transaction with up-front liquidity, and an equity upsideObtained a premium revenue multiple