Paid search marketing agency Net Media Planet has been acquired by South African-based digital marketing services group, Incubeta.

The London- headquartered search marketing and display advertising company, which scooped two awards at last week’s Performance Marketing Awards 2013, hopes that by joining forces with Incubeta, it can obtain more clients of great magnitude.

Net Media Planet will continue to operate under its own brand in the UK, but in the longer term, it aims to expand its digital services offering and help its clients by leveraging the group’s presence across international markets, including South East Asia and Australia.

Growth Strategy

Incubeta will be providing more backing in the retail and travel market, due to its focus and specialisms in such areas.

Managing director of Net Media Planet, Sri Sharma, said he is proud of the client success and market reputation that his team has created over the past nine years, and that the move represents the next phase in its ‘growth strategy’.

“Incubeta’s international ambition is particularly inspiring because it will create a step change in our scale and will enable both businesses to realise a shared long term vision,” Sharma said.

“We are looking forward to broadening the base of skills and expertise and thereby enhance our offering for clients.”

‘Important’ UK team

Incubeta, which has annual client billings of £45 million, has 200 staff across seven digital businesses – including Clicks2Customers.com; a global search and analytics agency. Its private equity backed ambition is to develop an international footprint with search and performance marketing as its central proposition.

Chief executive officer of Incubeta, Alan Lipschitz, said: “As multi-award winners for innovation and performance, we are delighted that Net Media Planet will be joining the Incubeta digital marketing services group. We are excited to now have a presence in the important UK market. I am looking forward to working with their fantastic team and to helping them build on what they have already achieved.”

The sale is set to be finalised later this month/early June, but Incubeta has not revealed costs of the deal.