Quatrro BPO Solutions and D.E. Shaw Group make majority investments in Babel Media

Smith & Williamson, in conjunction with its US Boston based M&A International partner firm TM Capital Corp, has advised Babel Media Ltd., the industry leader in specialist outsourced services for the games and interactive entertainment industry, in obtaining new majority investments from Quatrro BPO Solutions and D.E .Shaw.  Quatrro BPO Solutions is an outsourcing company with over 2,000 employees across the globe and the D.E. Shaw group is a global investment and technology development firm with approximately $39 billion in aggregate capital.  With this transaction, Babel becomes a part of the Quatrro group of companies.

Babel, founded in 1999, is the specialist outsourced services company for the games and interactive entertainment industry.  It provides comprehensive games-focused localisation, QA, certification, audio and print services across all platforms.  The company, which employs 500 staff, has its head offices in Brighton with sophisticated operations Los Angeles (USA), Montreal (Canada) and New Delhi (India). By raising expansion capital from D.E. Shaw and using Quattro's expertise in developing global delivery models, Babel is well positioned to become a global leader in games outsourcing.

Smith & Williamson worked as part of M&A International Inc. during the transaction. M&A International Inc. is the international alliance which specialises in merger and acquisition engagements around the globe with over 500 advisors from 41 member firms located in 40 countries.  In 2007, the alliance closed over 380 transactions worth more than $21 billion.

Brian Livingston, head of M&A at Smith & Williamson said: "The transaction demonstrates that as mid-market companies grow, they are seeking global capabilities on the world stage. To assist in their development, advisers need to demonstrate the ability to work across several continents, which we did once again after completing an Australia/China/UK transaction earlier in the month." David Raff, Partner at DLA Piper, the global legal services organisation added: "I doubt if anyone other than Smith & Williamson, and their M&A International colleagues, could have delivered this transaction. They are one of the few corporate finance houses that specialise in the mid-market with truly international capabilities."

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By necessity, this briefing can only provide a short overview and it is essential to seek professional advice before applying the contents of this article. No responsibility can be taken for any loss arising from action taken or refrained from on the basis of this publication. Details correct at time of writing.

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