The combined sites and apps would add up to “more than 10 million unique visitors” per month. Competitor Rain radar RTL Nederland says it reaches ‘approximately’ 10 million visitors every month via TV, website, app and social media.
Entrepreneurs
Infoplaza is a company that processes and provides information about weather and traffic. For example, it supplies weather forecasts to De Telegraaf, AD, NOS, de Volkskrant, NU.nl and a number of regional broadcasters. The company was founded in 2008 and is owned by entrepreneurs René Westening and Menno Bom.
Two years ago, Infoplaza strengthened itself through the acquisition of Buienalarm. That then competed with Buienradar, including a striking advertising campaign with Peter R. de Vries.
–
–
Financial support
The entrepreneurs are now able to also take over Weeronline thanks to financial support from the investment company Bolster. Bolster, which invests money in companies from asset manager Van Lanschot Kempen and (former) entrepreneurs, will acquire a 42.5 percent interest in Infoplaza through the deal.
How much money Bolster puts into Infoplaza and how much Infoplaza pays for Weeronline will not be disclosed. According to Bolster Investment, Infoplaza now has a turnover of 13.5 million euros and 100 employees.
–
–
Weatherman Gerrit Hiemstra
The new acquisition WeerOnline is now a quarter of a century old. The company was founded in 1995 as DLV Meteo, and taken over by the well-known weatherman in 2001 through a management buyout Gerrit Hiemstra and a business partner. The company supplies weather information to media companies, such as the ANP news agency.
Incidentally, Hiemstra is no longer involved with WeerOnline, and therefore earns nothing from the takeover. He sold the company in 2009 to WebAssets, also owner of the holiday review site Zoover.
In 2012, WebAssets was reportedly released 40 million euros acquired by the German media concern Tomorrow Focus, which merged it with its daughter HolidayCheck. Last month, the Germans already sold Zoover Vakanties.nl. So now Weeronline follows.
–
–
