Internet advertising network Aptimus Inc. bought High Voltage Interactive Inc., an online marketing firm focused on recruitment and enrollment offerings for the higher education market.
The deal boosts Aptimus’ quality of distribution in the education category. Aptimus paid $6 million in cash along with 200,000 shares of restricted stock.
“Generating quality edu leads is a highly complex discipline,” said Mike
Mayor, senior vice president of strategic market development at Aptimus.
“High Voltage has the deep category knowledge and client relationships
while Aptimus has the quality distribution with its point-of-action
network.”
The High Voltage acquisition comes soon after Time Warner Inc.’s AOL selected Aptimus as its transactional ad partner. The online portal will implement Aptimus’ point-of-action ad placement across its entire network.
High Voltage’s sale comes within a week of hectic M&A activity involving online companies. Ecometry merged with GERS Retail in the e-commerce services space and J. L. Halsey bought ClickTracks Analytics and content management firm Hot Banana Software.
The High Voltage acquisition is expected to add at least $1 million to Aptimus’ third-quarter sales and $2 million in the fourth quarter. Seventeen high Voltage employees will join Aptimus, with the staff moving from Sausalito, CA, to Aptimus’ San Francisco office.
High Voltage has worked with clients like Kaplan University, ITT Technical Institute, Colorado Technical University Online, University of Phoenix and American InterContinental University.
Aptimus will now be able to grow its education lead generation initiatives and offer school-specific hosted Web sites, advertiser representation and lead follow-up programs.
