Reply, the Italian technology and consulting group, has acquired Threepipe, one of the UK’s top independent digital agencies


Reply, listed on the Italian STAR market, is made up of specialist consulting and systems integration companies that include digital media, big data, cloud computing and the Internet of Things. The deal adds an award-winning performance marketing agency that runs acquisition and branding strategies for some of the best known and fastest growing UK and international brands to its existing business.

Threepipe is one of the most successful independent agencies in the U.K. (The Drum Magazine’s 9th Best Independent UK Agency in 2018.) The team of 90 people provide services across paid media, analytics, social, search, display media, PR and creative channels and recently announced the launch of a team dedicated to helping brands improve their Amazon sales performance.

The Threepipe shareholders worked with growth and corporate finance advisory firm, Waypoint Partners, to enhance their understanding of international market dynamics in order to assess the most appropriate strategic partners to engage.

We were able to leverage our intimate knowledge of the market, identifying the private equity, trade and hybrid investment firms that offered the best cultural and strategic fit as the business moves into its next phase of growth – unlocking new opportunities for clients and employees.

Threepipe will be able to tap into wider UK and international experience with complimentary expertise that includes CRM, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and blockchain.

Commenting on Threepipe’s acquisition, Matt Lacey, Director at Waypoint Partners, said:

“Threepipe’s reputation, scale, successful M&A track record and growth ambitions allowed us to approach the engagement with a blank piece of paper. With several routes available, we leveraged our strategically-led corporate finance expertise to assess the merits of each and engage only in the most suitable conversations. Ultimately, Threepipe’s profile leant itself to becoming a UK platform for an international business. This can be both an exciting and daunting prospect. On the one hand, it allows you to retain independence and agility, but as part of a larger international platform which can offer complementary expertise. On the other hand, there’s less certainty / familiarity – it’s untrodden ground that you’ve had limited time to test out. Ultimately, it falls down to trust, cultural fit and a truly shared vision so it’s key that both sides are able to spend enough time together to establish this. We think Reply’s entrepreneurial and innovative spirit make them a perfect fit for the Threepipe team.”