Velstar acquires ecommerce agency 9xb
Ecommerce agency Velstar has bought Leeds based 9xb and says the deal will take the combined revenue to around £9m.
After the merger, the combined business will count over 100 members of staff..
Liverpool based Velstar is a Shopify Plus development and marketing agency, while 9xb specialises in the development of complex and bespoke eCommerce solutions utilising its proprietary software platform Peracto.
Founded in 2004 9xb has around 45 staff, while Velstar has over 60.
Velstar is backed by Liverpool-based based fund manager River Capital through its North West Business Growth Loans programme.
Velstar’s deal with 9xb follows its acquisitions of WeTeachCRO earlier this year and the acquisition of Chester-based marketing agency, We Influence, in October 2022.
Dan Sheard, the Co-Founder and CEO of Velstar, said: “The acquisition of 9xb is a major step in Velstar’s continued journey of client centric growth. While Velstar has traditionally focused on the Shopify Plus website development and marketing services for direct-to-consumer brands, 9xb is truly complementary to Velstar through its main focus on B2B clients. Velstar will ensure a smooth transition for customers and colleagues, with a tireless focus on client satisfaction and exemplary service.”
Rob Burns, the Co-Founder and Managing Director of 9xb added, “Our partnership with Velstar marks an exciting chapter in our journey of growth, diversification, and innovation. It aligns seamlessly with our commitment to delivering exceptional value to our clients. We are thrilled to complement our service offerings with the additional resources, capabilities, and scale of the Velstar.”
Founded in 2016, Velstar works mainly on the ecommerce platform Shopify but also provides “a comprehensive suite of marketing services,” in addition to its development work.
In 2022 Velstar relocated to a new offices on the sixth floor of The Tempest, on Tithebarn Street where it took 4,298 sq ft of office space.
Cowgills advised 9xb and Velstar has their own in-house Mergers & Acquisitions team.
