2022/12/19

BDA advises The Smart Cube on sale to WNS

has been acquired by

2022

BDA Partners is pleased to announce that its client The Smart Cube has been acquired by WNS Holdings Ltd (NYSE: WNS). The Smart Cube is a leading, platform-driven research & analytics (R&A) solutions provider focused on procurement, supply chain, sales and marketing functions. It serves Fortune 500 companies. WNS has acquired The Smart Cube for a total consideration of US$125m.

BDA Partners and William Blair acted as exclusive investment banking advisors to The Smart Cube and its shareholders.

The Smart Cube provides digitally-led market intelligence and analytics. The company’s offerings span: procurement and supply chain; commercial sales and marketing; digital and analytics; and strategy and investment research. The Smart Cube leverages its proprietary digital AI knowledge management platform, “Amplifi Pro”, to help clients drive improved procurement, intelligence and insight-based decision-making. The company has 800 global employees led by a seasoned team with CXO-level relationships, and 600 talented R&A specialists, 2/3 of whom hold a Master’s degree.

The Smart Cube is complementary to WNS’ existing offerings and will strengthen WNS’ capabilities in high-end procurement and advanced analytics. The Smart Cube brings strong front-end advisory capabilities and a European footprint to the WNS portfolio. 

Gautam Singh, Co-Founder and CEO, The Smart Cube, said: “The Smart Cube is proud to become part of WNS, an industry leader in global Business Process Management. Both of our firms share a common philosophy of partnering and growing with clients, and believe our businesses continue to have huge growth opportunities ahead. We could not have made this deal happen without the dedication and focus of the BDA – William Blair team.”

Omer Abdullah, Co-Founder, The Smart Cube, added: “We’re excited for the next phase of our growth with WNS. The BDA – William Blair team demonstrated deep knowledge of our sector with the right global relationships which allowed us to find the perfect partner and to accomplish a great outcome for The Smart Cube’s people as well as our shareholders.”

Jonathan Lerner, Partner, Smedvig Capital, said: “It’s been a great experience for Smedvig to be a part of The Smart Cube’s exceptional growth journey. WNS is an excellent partner to take the company to the next level. I would like to thank the BDA – William Blair team for their invaluable guidance throughout the process.”

Jeff Acton, Head of Technology, BDA, said: “We’re delighted to have advised The Smart Cube on its successful sale to WNS. We expect strong deal momentum in this space given the accelerated growth and convergence of functional analytics with digital transformation. We remain the preferred go-to-banker for analytics and digital transformation assets.”

Manoj Balwani, Head of Technology, India, BDA, added: “Digitally-led market intelligence and analytics have become vital for enterprises, for real-time insights and decision making. The Smart Cube leads with its unique “Artificial Intelligence + Human Intelligence (AI+HI)” platform led solutions. We’re happy to have worked on this landmark deal. It solidifies BDA’s position in the AI and Analytics market.”

Jonathan Aiken, Head of London, BDA, added: “This transaction reflects our ability to manage cross-border transactions and to leverage sector teams in the USA, Europe and India. BDA is well positioned to advise companies with a nexus in India in these fast-growing segments.”​​​​

About The Smart Cube

The Smart Cube is a trusted partner for high performing intelligence that answers critical business questions for Fortune 100 companies. Through custom research, advanced analytics and best of breed technology, The Smart Cube transforms data into insights – enabling smart decision-making to improve business performance at the top and bottom line. The Smart Cube’s “AI + HI” approach combines high-quality, human subject matter expertise (Human Intelligence) with proprietary assets and innovative technology (Artificial Intelligence) to provide analytics-driven solutions. The Smart Cube has created proprietary on-demand digital platform, Amplifi PRO, providing easy, instant access to essential procurement intelligence and decision-making tools. The Smart Cube is headquartered in the UK with offices in the USA, Switzerland, Romania and India. www.thesmartcube.com

About WNS

WNS Holdings Ltd (NYSE: WNS) is a leading BPM (Business Process Management) company. WNS combines deep industry knowledge with technology, analytics, and process expertise to co-create innovative, digitally led transformational solutions with 400 clients across various industries. WNS delivers an entire spectrum of BPM solutions including industry-specific offerings, customer experience services, finance and accounting, HR, procurement, and research and analytics to re-imagine the digital future of businesses. WNS has 58,000 professionals across 60 delivery centers worldwide, with facilities in Canada, China, Costa Rica, India, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the UK, and the USA. ​​​​www.wns.com

About BDA Partners

BDA Partners is the global investment banking advisor for Asia. We are a premium provider of Asia-related advice to sophisticated clients globally, with 25 years’ experience advising on cross-border M&A, capital raising, and financial restructuring. We provide global reach with our teams in New York and London, and true regional depth through our seven Asian offices in Mumbai, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo. BDA has deep expertise in the Chemicals, Consumer & Retail, Health, Industrials, Services, Sustainability and Technology sectors. We work relentlessly to earn our clients’ trust by delivering insightful advice and outstanding outcomes.

BDA Partners has strategic partnerships with William Blair, a premier global investment banking business, and with DBJ (Development Bank of Japan), a Japanese government-owned bank with US$150bn of assets.

US securities transactions are performed by BDA Partners’ affiliate, BDA Advisors Inc, a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). BDA Advisors Inc is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and SIPC. In the UK, BDA Partners is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). In Hong Kong, BDA Partners (HK) Ltd is licensed and regulated by the Securities & Futures Commission (SFC) to conduct Type 1 and Type 4 regulated activities to professional investors. www.bdapartners.com