New York, November 15, 2022 – DEFINITION 6 (“D6”), an Atlanta and New York City-based leading digital customer experience agency, was acquired through a majority investment by funds managed by Kelso & Company (“Kelso”).
D6 is a digital customer experience agency that leverages technology, analytics, and content to create innovative solutions that drive measured and forecasted results for brands. They partner with clients to build engaging stories that extend brands across an array of applications and customer touchpoints. D6 services its customers through a base of skilled creative and technical employees that pride themselves on producing content at scale and forecasting the specific impact they have on a client’s business through advanced analytics and a willingness to commit to a forecast across touchpoints.
D6 will merge with Bridgenext (“formerly Emtec Inc.”), a Kelso portfolio company, to create a global digital consultancy focused on helping clients navigate complex digital transformation journeys. The combined company will offer a significantly expanded suite of digital services combining D6’s digital customer experience offering through its award-winning creative strategy, technical, and storytelling capabilities with Bridgenext’s complementary expertise in digital product engineering, application development, and analytics services. The organization, with an international presence that spans the U.S., Canada, and India, will be led by Emtec CEO Sunil Misra, with D6 led by Jeff Katz and its existing management team. Both the D6 and Bridgenext management teams will remain significant investors alongside Kelso in the combined company.
“We are excited to join forces with the D6 team as we seek to execute on our shared vision of becoming a renowned end-to-end digital consultancy,” said Emtec CEO, Sunil Misra. “We are committed to delivering a differentiated value proposition to our clients, and this transaction will provide immediate benefits to our clients as we expand and strengthen our capabilities. We welcome the D6 team and are eager to supplement Bridgenext digital services expertise with D6’s outstanding customer experience, and creative strategy and execution offerings.”
“We have identified ideal partners in Kelso and Bridgenext, and we look forward to combining our complementary skillsets with Bridgenext to provide new and innovative solutions to our current and future customers,” said D6 CEO, Jeff Katz. “The expanded resources of the broader organization will help us accelerate our growth trajectory and drive continued professional development opportunities for our employees. We are pleased to partner with an organization like Bridgenext which shares a similar culture and passion for delivering exemplary customer and employee experiences.”
“Bridgenext and D6 are impressive organizations with strong positions in their markets. The combination represents a compelling opportunity to unite leading technical and creative capabilities to deliver a full-service digital offering that resonates with customers seeking to accelerate their digital aspirations,” said John Castleman, Chairman of the Emtec Board of Directors.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with two outstanding management teams and the talented and highly dedicated employees at Bridgenext and D6. We look forward to supporting the go-forward organic and inorganic growth initiatives of the combined organization as it continues to augment its capabilities and expand its geographic presence,” added Hank Mannix and Alec Hufnagel, Managing Directors at Kelso.
The D6 acquisition closed in September 2022. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Canaccord Genuity and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP advised Kelso in connection with the transaction. Madison Alley served as the exclusive financial advisor, and DLA Piper acted as the legal advisor to D6.
About Definition 6
D6 is an award-winning customer experience agency that has combined strategy, creative, technology, and storytelling for more than 20 years. Based in Atlanta and New York City, with satellite offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco, D6 is behind high performing experiences and top campaigns for leading brands such as SAIA, HBO, Paramount+, Nextdoor, Siemens, Barnes & Noble College, and Nickelodeon. For more information, please visit www.definition6.com.
About Kelso
Kelso is one of the oldest and most established firms specializing in private equity investing. Since 1980, Kelso has invested approximately $19 billion of equity capital in 139 transactions. Kelso was founded by the inventor of the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and, as a result, the principles of partnership and alignment of interest serve as the foundation of the firm’s investment philosophy. Kelso benefits from a successful investment track record, deep sector expertise, a long-tenured and stable investing team, and a reputation as a preferred partner to management teams and corporate partners. The firm is based in New York, NY. For more information, please visit www.kelso.com.