We’ve sold Mumbrella
Mumbrella co-founder Tim Burrowes reveals that Mumbrella has a new owner.
So we’ve sold Mumbrella.
Let’s not use the weasel words you sometimes see used by companies that get bought. I’m not going to use terms like “releasing a strategic stake”. We’ve sold the company. We signed the paperwork this morning.
The new owner of Mumbrella – and our new boss – is a family-owned American company you probably haven’t heard of called Diversified Communications.
It’s a deal that guarantees Mumbrella remains an independent voice and in time, I hope, will give Mumbrella the opportunity to become a global brand.
Tim, congratulations. What a wonderfully candid article and glad you got a good price for the business. Well done on building a great company — you should be proud!
Tim and Martin, We’re really excited. We can’t wait to work with you and your team. Have a great Christmas
David
Congratulations to all. You’ll make a formidable team.
Congratulations Tim – feels right, good on you!
Congrats to all @ mumbrella. What a great journey this has been so far – Very inspiring.
Congrats! With all the noise about online sales and communications, it’s still great to hear events and face to face networking has its role to play, and profitably so.
Tim,
Love the honestly and it’s great to see Mumbrella grow and be given the opportunity to see itself on a global platform.
Having watched you pour your heart and soul into the company I’m really proud of what you have accomplished.
Onya Tim. Great timing and great result. How long was it to be an overnight success?? Well done for holding on. MP
Tim, congrats to you and team for a job well done. Diversified is a great company. Good choice.
I understand all the reasons as you have so well laid them out. Diversified will surely help the event side of the business while you and the other journos keep the home fires burning.
Mumbrella is a must read for me, all the way in the New York side of the world. Glad to know you will have a steady hand at keeping the real news coming.
Santa comes to Sydney!
I will pop a cork in recognition of a job well done!
All the best, Glenn
Congratulations
Hi Tim and Martin
As someone who has worked with you for many years and been a ‘friend of’ Mumbrella’s work in the travel space, congratulations to you and the team. As noted above, a great piece to tell the news.
Looking forward to seeing Mumbrella go from strength to strength!
Congrats Mumbrella team, it’s a new future as we charter into the new year. And I have heard of Diversified Communications and the pleasure of working with them for some events in Hong Kong.
Look forward to working with the team again in 2018 and beyond.
Congratulations Tim, well deserved and sounds like a fantastic reward for all your and the team’s hardwork over the years and a fantastic outcome for the local industry – Global domination!
Tim, Well done to you and the team. Fantastic news and so well deserved. I wish you and the broader team every future success.
Tim & Martin – congratulations on the realisation of the value which you have built from the ground up. Nothing tastes as sweet as the fruits of your own hard toil – particularly where you’ve taken on the substantial financial, emotional and reputational risk of being a shareholder from the ‘ground up’.
Very few make a success of the business part – let alone then exiting (financially) in a way which is true to character and with a genuine concern for what comes after (for the staff, new owners and the biz). Well done.
Many congrats, Tim. Awesome outcome for all of you.
The startup world needs good news stories, and cash exits like this one to continue to florish. Excited about seeing you continue this journey.
Congrats Tim and team!! written with trademark honesty and just in time to celebrate!
Congratulations to all the team and well said Tim,
Many years of hard work and shared opportunities within your team and also across the industry, helping to connect and support us all to build our industry, brands and teams. You deserve the success you have all worked hard to achieve.
Thoroughly well deserved and we look forward to seeing where you now take the business in 2018 and beyond.
Enjoy the moment and Merry Xmas from the Yakusan team 🙂
congratulations
Excellent report Tim. Inspiring to read of a new publishing venture that survives and prospers and meets a collaborative big partner, all before its 10th anniversary.
Well done Tim, and the Mumbrella team, and Ian Wakeling – wonderful news! A fabulous Australian story of a hard working, talented team. All the best for the next decade!
Congrats, fellas, that’s a genuinely inspiring tale for everyone in this game.
I’ll take the New York job with the upper westside apartment, thanks heaps.
Many congratulations!
Top form sneaking this out the Friday afternoon before Christmas.
Look forward to seeing where this takes Mumbrella. World domination must be the logical next step.
Good luck and best wishes to the whole team.
Oh, and you are totes welcs.
Gotta love a good success story built on vision and hard work. Well done guys! Happy faster growth.
Congrats Tim on creating something of real value to the industry and to you now. Well done! Trust there’s a good holiday in it for you. Merry Christmas.
Congratulations Tim and team. I’ve been watching you grow with admiration; sounds like a very positive result.
Congratulations Tim and Martin,
Its fitting that people who know how to inspire, create, and build such an innovative brand are the people reporting on the industry. Credit too for maintaining such a high degree of professionalism, independence and transparency in our murky world.
It’s been great fun working with you on MSIX, and may you continue to treat my, and everyone else’s career in this industry with wonderful indifference.
Congratulations. It’s rare to read such a candid, emotionally intelligent statement about this kind of process. Thrilled you’ll all be continuing to raise the bar beyond 2018.
Congrats Tim
congratulations Tim and team – you’ve built an excellent product and a good business and I’m happy for you all that you’ve managed to sell for a good price
Congratulations Tim & Martin! the fact that this worked out nicely for you guys I feel is solid testament to the great product Mumbrella has become 🙂 Kudos to you both and the entire team (past & present), Looking forward to seeing Mumbrella continuing to grow in all aspects.
All the best for 2018 & beyond!
Congratulations Martin, Tim and Wak! It feels like a lifetime ago since we were crammed into the dingy TNT offices making podcasts on free software and trying to wrangle constant contact for the newsletter!
Congratulations to you and the team Tim!! Change is always a good opportunity for any business and I wish you all the best. Merry christmas. ?
Congratulations Tim and Martin and team.
That selling a business business can be quite interesting I seem to remember. But I’m sure you had very good people helping along the path to completing a successful process.
Seasons greeting.
Stig
Congrats to you Tim and the team. Wonderful achievements and great way to begin a new year. Wish you continued success. Cheers Caroline
I could have got you a 1,000% better deal…
Congratulations to the Mumbrella team(s), both present and past. You leave the industry a better place.
And on a personal note Tim, well done old chum.
Well done guys
Love it… Top people, top brand, top idea….I’m very humble and Proud of your achievements …..
Any chance you can shout me a lunch…
Congratulations
A well deserved result and the freedom to spread your wings a bit too .
Congratulations! A great Christmas present. And good to hear the same team in charge, and your thoughtfulness for your partner, and lack of ego, even though you deserve a lot of high fives for what you and your biz have achieved. Nice to see that hard work pays off. ??
Congrats Tim, Martin, and team! Thanks for sharing in such an authentic, honest post. Wishing you all a very merry Christmas.
Congrats mate and thanks for keeping it real all this time. Looking forward to Mumbrella’s future.
Re: Exhibitions –> may inspire –> how about an always on exhibitions on VR platforms for 2019. Ritson may fume but there will be some paying businesses by then (if done properly.) Ok, maybe 2020 🙂
Cheers
Very happy to hear this. All your hard work has been rewarded. Well deserved.
You mentioned a week or so ago in an article that you realised you are now an events company. Which resonates now more than it did then.
My concern, among such ripping news, is that Mumbrella.com.au remains a portal for the most insightful and thoughtful marketing, media and advertising news. Has Diversified bought the company for the events only? What is their commitment to being a media outlet? I really, really don’t want to have to go back to reading Campaign Brief again.
And secondly… I hope you are ok with the culture at Diversified. I’ve worked with them as a client at two agencies, 10 years apart, and have found them to be a tricky one. I really hope you guys fit in there.
Thanks again. Viva Mumbrella.
Congratulations Tim!
And a big thank you also for the inspiring articles, including this one!
As a self publishing magazine owner, I know all too well how company founders often reduce their own income to keep feeding the growth of the business operations. I comment your vision and attitude in sticking at it to achieve such sales growth and then to sell to such a unique buyer who is committed to the brand. In terms of media reporting, I find Mumbrella a great resource and a fascinating read, now daily. Keep up the good work, and make sure you buy yourself a decent Christmas gift this year! Cheers Jamie Durrant, editor Essentials Magazine Australia
Tim says “I can’t tell you exactly how much we got”, but the Australian says $8mil – or was that just Dr Mumbo’s fee?
Congrats Tim.
Congratulations Tim .. exciting times ahead!
Most impressive that it didn’t leak beforehand. Congrats
Wowsers! Diversified have bought a peach and its o ly going to get riper. Congrats!
Congratulations. And best wishes for the road ahead.
Congratulations, Tim.
I remembered your entree into the Australian ad media scene – a press lunch for something or other where your trademark nose for hard news was immediately apparent to all. That nose and an equally pointed business nous has served you and the industry well. Good job and good luck. May Mumbrella keep going up and up.
Oh kudos to you Tim – great news, and brilliant change comms to go with it. All the best with the transition
Huge news and massive congrats! It takes so much hard work to get this far and it must be very satisfying to create something of value out of nothing. Enjoy the celebration Tim and team!
Biggara!
Just as I was getting ready to buy the company and sack the lot of you!!!
Oh well, I suppose congratulations are in order.
That’d be the classy thing to say…
Probably.
Tim, Martin and the whole Mumbrella crew; Loved Mumbrella from day one and inspired by what you’ve created. Looking forward to working with you.
Happy New Year indeed. See you on the other side!
Kieron
Congratulations! Well-deserved Tim, Martin and team (past and present).
Well done to all involved…Great news.
Congrats Tim and Martin, well deserved and a great way to end the year. Looking forward to seeing the conference growth in 2018, Kieron and the team at Diversified are some of the best in the field.
Mat
That’s really cool. Very happy for you and the team Tim. Clever analysis and independent reporting. And a lot of hard work!
Well done Tim. So well deserved! What a way to end a brilliant year.
Dear Mumbrella,
Being a new Sydneysider, you are the first website I have surfed to read stuff around media , communications and marketing. Hope the great information flow continues…
Wish you the best!
Heard o you guys. Never used your services. But read about your background for the SALE. Impressive, That’s quite some company you have there.
Nice work!!
Sincerely
Graeme Orr
(CEO Australian Saes & Marketing Institute
&
CEO http://www.gowordsmith.com)
You built something useful and different, from scratch – and then sold it just before Christmas. Perfect. Congratulations.
Congrats Tim. You kept that under your brolly. Well done.
Well done Tim. Many congratulations.
Love from Aunty Hazel
Congrats Tim and team! Mumbrella launched when I was fresh to the industry and it’s been entertaining seeing the brand grow. Hopefully the quality of reporting and the tone continue as they are.
Tim & team,
You’ve made such a massive contribution to the industry in such a short time. Thank you and congratulations on the evolution of Mumbrella.
Well done on delivering a brave vision and very exciting to know you’re just getting started.
An inspiring story for all.
JT
Huge congratulations. You’ve built something awesome – can’t wait to see it go even bigger in future.
Well done. Well deserved.
Great news and I’m sure will lead to some great things
Wow guys!!
The dream has been realised.
Feel honoured to have played a small part in this. Onya guys x
Ps. Hit me up if you need sales in London!
You played a massive part Bec, thank you. Have a great Christmas.
Still best job I ever had!
Hi Tim, and Congrats on the sucessful sale but more importantly, from my POV, for sharing the background of the events: a learning moment.
Glad to read that the success of the Mumbrella360 event was a major catalyst for the sale. Been following that event from a distance and look forward to participating in the future.
Continued good fortune in 2018.
Fantastic result for you and Martin, Tim. What a nice Christmas gift! Sounds like you’ve really ticked all the boxes that any business owner would desire on their wishlist, so well done.
Hope it also helps your work-life balance.
All the best for a huge future.
Charles
Congratulations on your sale and growing your brand.
Merry Christmas
Petra
Atomic212 founded Mumbrella and sold advertising publication and events business for 8b in the only unicorn exit of a content business ever in the history of grand slam exits.
Nice one! No Xmas miracle – but a very just reward for all your (collective) hard work. Congrats ?
Congratulations Tim, nice exit and earner. Enjoy
Congratulations Martin and Tim – delighted for you both!
One of those rare occasions when the word “SALE” didn’t make the marketer in me cringe. Congratulations, Tim and team for creating value, nurturing it, growing it and now monetising it! Good luck in all your future endeavours including keeping mumbrella focussed on what it does best while Diversified enables you to widen your perspective.
Nice one Tim,
Thanks for keeping the ‘M’ in Media interesting and honest. Our local industry is going to need leaders in 2018 like never before and if this sale gives your more leverage then all power to you.
Congratulations Tim, and team!
Tim, I remember you launching at the same time that I joined the projects* and share much of your sentiment around doing the work that you love and the responsibility that you have to your team – we have exactly 33 people in Sydney so have mirrored your journey:)
I have always admired you and continue to do so with this wonderfully candid article, a lesson to us all.
Many congratulations and I look forward to seeing your work in 2018.
Cheers Carrie x
Congrats Tim and the Mumbrella team.
Nice work, well done you should be so proud on what you have achieved so far. Zoyee
congrats Team Mumbrella – great work and a great Christmas present!
Well done
Above all it’s great to see a publishing business achieve success. Find the correct model and it can work. It’s not all doom and gloom!
Having gone through this ritual twice in my life, I understand the reluctance to sell (am I right?) and the relief it brings when the dotted line has been signed. Your frankness is fresh air in a world of choking new-speak. Enjoy what comes next.
All the best for the next chapter of Mumbrella. It sounds exciting for all concerned. I’m super glad to hear the independent voice will be preserved.
Tim heartiest of congratulations. I know how it feels, and share the sentiments. You are a very positive force, cheery and inquisitive. Looks like all these qualities and more will be with us for a while.Steve
Congrats Tim and the Mumbrella team.
I too appreciate the candid nature of your article telling us about the sale, it’s a lot more information than we get on most trade sales in this industry. I look forward to seeing how it all unfolds for you guys. Well done on building a business of value and something worth selling, it’s not easy to do!! All the best.
Congratulations & thanks for sharing so frankly! Onward & upward in 2018!
Congrats to you and the team Tim. It’s always exciting to see entrepreneurs win out in the end and unfortunately the result is too often the opposite. You built a great business that delivers value for its customers and it’s exciting to see that value recognised. Well done!
Congratulations to you and your team Tim.
Mumbrella is a great resource and its really good to see a “media independent” success story
Russell
Congrats to Tim & co.. I’ve dealt with Diversified in the past in the event/exhibition world and find them good operators.
Congratulations Tim and team! Looking forward to seeing where this takes Mumbrella next.
Always loved the Mumbrella ethos : work harder and be more open and honest than the competition. Your Comments option has allowed me to do some wonderfully therapeutic venting over the years. Glad you made some money