CIP Capital has completed a strategic investment in Affinitiv, Inc., a leading provider of marketing and technology services to automotive manufacturers and dealerships. Affinitiv is a newly formed entity exclusively focused on the automotive market through the merger of four market leading companies: DPS, Peak Performance, OneCommand and TimeHighway.com. This strategic combination provides both OEMs and dealers with an end-to-end marketing solution that leverages multi-channel communications, technology, and analytics to create connected customers for life. With a focus on driving retention and loyalty throughout all phases of the automotive customer lifecycle, Affinitiv provides a consistent customer experience across all channels.
Affinitiv is built on long-term relationships with leading OEMs, dealership groups, and individual dealers with a commitment to customer service and technology innovation. Affinitiv serves over 5,500 dealerships through the largest sales and customer service team in the automotive marketing technology space. Affinitiv will significantly invest in its existing technology platform to extend its advanced analytics capabilities with a focus on connected car and mobile solutions that will enhance and personalize the customer experience. Affinitiv has market leading solutions across online and offline channels, with enhanced digital, social, and telematics solutions that connect automotive OEMs and dealers to their customers to drive brand loyalty and revenue across the dealership. In addition, Affinitiv is the only solution in the market with an integrated service marketing and appointment scheduling capability.
All four CEOs of the combined companies have joined the newly formed Company in executive roles and are investors in the transaction. In addition, CIP Capital has partnered with several senior executives from the automotive market to form the leadership team of Affinitiv. Mike Doobay, a long-term industry veteran in the automotive market, has been named CEO of Affinitiv. “Affinitiv will combine the best of each company with the sole focus of serving our OEM and dealer partners with a market leading solution that effectively manages all aspects of the customer lifecycle,” said Mr. Doobay. “The scale and reach of Affinitiv will allow us to invest in the best people, technology platform, and analytics capabilities to meet the changing needs of our customers.” Jeff Hart, former President and CEO of OneCommand, joins Affinitiv as COO. Mr. Hart added, “Affinitiv is committed to providing a whole new approach to creating connected customers for life. This is a highly exciting combination for our customers, employees, and shareholders.”
Affinitiv represents the third investment for CIP Capital in 2016 and will be a buy and build platform with an exclusive focus on the automotive marketing technology space. “We are thrilled to launch Affinitiv through the strategic combination of four market leading companies that all believe in our plan to invest aggressively in new digital, telematics, and analytics capabilities,” said Justin Lipton, Managing Partner of CIP Capital. He adds, “We see a unique opportunity to build the leading independent player in the automotive marketing technology space with a highly differentiated value proposition.”
Affinitiv is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with seven offices across North America. Affinitiv generates over $100 million in annual revenue and employs over 500 team members.
About Affinitiv:
Affinitiv is a leading marketing technology company exclusively serving automotive manufacturers (OEMs), dealership groups, and individual dealers. Affinitiv enables its customers to produce, manage, measure, and optimize multi-channel communications to drive brand loyalty and increase revenue across the dealership. Affinitiv’s digital and analytic capabilities offer an end-to-end solution that supports a consistent experience across the entire consumer lifecycle. Affinitiv was formed through the strategic combination of DPS, Peak Performance, OneCommand, and TimeHighway.com. Affinitiv is headquartered in Chicago, IL. For more information, please visit: www.affinitiv.com.
About CIP Capital:
CIP Capital is a New York based private equity firm focused on investing in growth-oriented, middle-market companies across the Business Information and Tech-Enabled Services markets in North America. The fund seeks to invest in proven, profitable businesses that provide their customer bases with critical information, proprietary content, and value-added outsourced services. Targeted sectors for investment include business services, marketing services, and knowledge services. For more information, please visit: www.cip-capital.com.
