LLYC acquires American agency BAM and doubles its size in the U.S.

LLYC takes another step into its expansion strategy and announces the 80% capital acquisition of the American agency BAM. The initial valuation of BAM is USD 13.2 million (EUR 12.2 million) and LLYC is acquiring an initial 80 percent stake in the company. The initial price may be adjusted on the basis of the performance from 2022 to 2025. The total price is to be paid in cash. As part of LLYC, BAM will continue to operate under its own brand, while creating value-added synergies with the company’s entire international network.

This operation makes LLYC U.S. the firm’s third largest operation with a consolidated total revenues of USD 17 million (EUR 15.7 million), only after Spain (USD 39 million / EUR 36 million) and Mexico (USD 18.1 million / EUR 16.7 million). It will also create a team of more than 65 professionals, in both the East and West Coast, as well as a portfolio of solutions and services that offer strategy and creativity based on exponential technologies for SMEs and large corporations.

With this acquisition, the global communications, marketing and public affairs consulting firm doubles its size in the United States and finds new roads in 14 new states, from coast to coast, beside its established facilities in New York, Miami and Washington D.C.

BAM is a leading PR and digital marketing agency serving venture-backed and established technology companies, founded by Rebecca Bamberger, who will continue owning and leading the business. BAM, among many other things, designs and drives stories for tech and VC brands by implementing transmedia creative campaigns that drive clients to get 94% more investment than their main competitors.

Complementarity

LLYC and BAM structure their value proposition on exponential technologies mixed with creativity in order to accomplish communications and marketing challenges of each of their clients. With similar corporate values, the vision of both companies converges in how they respond to this need, through emblematic and creative stories that connect with society, raising positive conversation, awareness and getting the attention of different stakeholders to boost brand positioning, as well as their business objectives.

Creativity has become one of the main purposes of LLYC and BAM, not only from a marketing or advertising perspective, but also from other disciplines, where LLYC has an extensive background, such as talent engagement, corporate and public affairs, investor relations and M&As.

LLYC has already moved in this direction in the last years, by incorporating the creative and disruptive capacity of CHINA parte de LLYC to its offering, as well as data analytics with proprietary technology tools carried out by BESO by LLYC, creating in an international network that enhances creative strategies with a presence in more than 20 cities around the world.

“The acquisition of BAM supports our international growth strategy and allows LLYC to rapidly scale in the U.S. and broaden our service proposition,” said Alejandro Romero, Partner and Global CEO of LLYC. “BAM’s entrepreneurial spirit, expertise, and deep relationships with technology startups and the venture capital community set them apart from other agencies in the space. We’re thrilled to welcome the BAM team to the LLYC community.”

“After two years of meticulous effort and more than 65 meetings with potential partners, we finally found our partner, LLYC. The agency is truly unmatched in our industry and holds the same values as us,” said Rebecca Bamberger, CEO of BAM. “Joining LLYC is a natural next step in the evolution of BAM and a hugely exciting opportunity for our team. LLYC’s global reach, digital capabilities, and depth of expertise will provide BAM clients, and by extension, the venture capital ecosystem, with even more resources.”

“The acquisition of BAM represents a decisive step for LLYC in our commitment to expand the firm in a key market such as the United States,” said José Antonio Llorente, Founding Partner and Chairman of LLYC. “This is a quantitative leap because it allows us to double our business in the country, but also a qualitative one because BAM’s spirit, values, and technological focus fit perfectly with LLYC’s philosophy.”

The acquisition of BAM is part of LLYC’s ambitious plan to double in size over the next four years through selective acquisitions of companies that operate in key areas or strategic markets. The purchase of BAM is the eighth acquisition LLYC has executed in as many years. Completed integrations include BESO (Mexico, 2021), APACHE (Spain, 2021), CHINA (Spain, 2021), Impossible Tellers (Spain, 2015), S/A Comunicaçao (Brazil, 2015), EDF (U.S. 2015), Arenalia, Diplolicy (Spain, 2018) and Factor C (Chile, 2020).