Catcha Group

Catcha Group is an international investment group founded by entrepreneur Patrick Grove. The Group controls a number of publicly listed and private media, new media, online classifieds and e-commerce businesses, and is one of the largest investors in the digital sector in emerging markets, notably ASEAN.^[1] Catcha Group and its related entities have completed over 30 investments and acquisitions since inception, and boast a portfolio of online assets worth well in excess of US$1 billion.^[2]

Since inception, Catcha Group has completed a number of landmark transactions with a total of four IPOs in six years, including the 2007 listing of iProperty Group on the Australian Securities Exchange, REV Asia Berhad (previously Catcha Media Berhad) on Bursa Malaysia in 2011, and the subsequent IPOs of iCar Asia in 2012 and iBuy Group in 2013, both on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Investors in Catcha Group companies include News Corporation, REA Group, Star Media Group (Malaysia), Intel Capital, Carsales.com Limited, Australian Foundation Investment Company, Thorney Investments, Northcape Capital, and Fidelity Funds Management.

Portfolio

The company's portfolio of investments in which it is the major shareholder include:

• iProperty Group - owner and operator of Asia’s No.1 network of property websites,^[3] in Singapore, Malaysia, Macau, Hong Kong, Indonesia, with investments in India and the Philippines. REA Group (subsidiary of News Corporation) is the company's second largest shareholder behind Catcha Group.^[4] The company was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in September 2007,^[5] and added to the S&P/ASX 300 as one of the top 300 listed stocks on the Australian Securities Exchange in March 2014.^[6] It crossed the MYR1 billion milestone in market capitalisation in October 2013.^[7] With REA Group's US$100 million investment in July 2014, iProperty became the most highly valued publicly traded Internet company in ASEAN.^[8]

• REV Asia Berhad (previously Catcha Media Berhad) ^[9]- a publicly listed new media group with operations online and in magazine publishing. Key shareholders besides Catcha Group include Datuk Justin Leong (5.01%) and Star Publications (Malaysia) Berhad (4.9%).^[10] The company was listed on the Malaysian Stock Exchange in July 2011. Following the completion of the merger between certain Catcha Media Berhad (Catcha Media) subsidiaries and Says Sdn Bhd on 8 October 2013, a new company, Rev Asia Holdings Sdn Bhd (Rev Asia) was formed.^[11]

• iCar Asia Limited - ASEAN’s largest network of online automotive sites.^[12] Among its brands are Autospinn.com and Thaicar.com in Thailand, Mobil123.com in Indonesia and Carlist.my, LiveLifeDrive.com^[13] and Malaysian EVO magazine and its spin offs, in Malaysia. The company was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange on 11 September 2012.^[14] In March 2013, Australia's leading online cars classifieds Carsales.com Limited acquired a 19.9% seat in the company.^[15] In March 2014, Carsales.com.au announced it would increase its stake in iCar Asia by a further 3% to 22.9%.^[16] The S&P Dow Jones Indices announced in iCar's inclusion to the All Ordinaries Index on 21 March 2014.^[17]

• iBuy Group Limited - Catcha Group's foray into e-commerce began in 2011 with Dealmates.com, a leading Malaysian based e-commerce site, co-funded by Intel Capital.^[18] In 2012, Dealmates.com pivoted from a group buying to a flash sales model that focuses on selling products.^[19] On 20 December 2013, iBuy Group was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.^[20] Incorporated in August 2013 and based in Singapore, iBuy is Southeast Asia's number one ranked e-commerce player.^[21] Focused on flash sales, the company has operations in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia, including sites Deal.com.sg, BeeCrazy.hk, Mydeal.com.my and Dealmates.com. In early 2014, iBuy Group acquired the Southeast Asia arm of LivingSocial spreading their reach to consumers in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines through Livingsocial.co.id, Livingsocial.com/my, Ensogo.com and Ensogo.com.ph.^[22]

• Catcha Ventures - a venture fund focused on investing in early to mid stage internet companies in emerging markets globally, Catcha Group's venture arm has numerous private investments. In early 2013 it committed to invest USD$150 million in ASEAN-based online companies over the next five years.^[23]

Investment Strategy

Group CEO Patrick Grove has described Catcha Group as being akin to a venture equity firm rather than a traditional investment group. He describes it thus: "Not only do we start companies, we also invest in them and we drive them ... We call it venture equity."^[24]

Focusing on investments within the online sector, Catcha Group's strategy is to look at what works in the West and bring it to the East.^[25] In an interview with e27.co, Catcha Group's Group CEO Patrick Grove has said “We like to bet on ideas where the concept is already proven. Our only risk is execution risk, we don’t like to bet on idea risk.”^[26]

Part of Catcha Group's investment strategy is to grow the Group and it business through acquisition. Speaking in an interview with BRW, Patrick Grove was quoted as saying: “In an industry that moves so fast, the way to get market share fast is to acquire rather than start from scratch."^[27] Targeting opportunities in emerging markets, Catcha Group is especially bullish on Southeast Asia.^[28]

Mergers & Acquisitions

In March 2013, Japan's OPT Inc announced that it had acquired a 90% stake in CDA, a leading online advertising networks with offices in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.^[29]

In July 2013, Catcha Group announced it had acquired an undisclosed stake in Dubai-based Middle East property portal group, Propertyfinder.ae.^[30]

In May 2014, Catcha Group invested in Frontier Digital Ventures, a digital investment firm focusing on online classifieds in frontier and emerging markets.^[31]

References

External links

• Catcha Group website
• Catcha Group YouTube
• Catcha Group Facebook page
• Catcha Group Twitter