Nazara Technologies has announced the acquisition of an additional 48.42% stake in Paper Boat Apps (PBA) from its promoters Anupam and Anshu Dhanuka for a sum of Rs 300 crores to take its ownership in PBA to 100%.
The same will be paid in cash in tranches and is a part of the company’s consideration on merging PBA into the company at the appropriate time to bring home one of the world’s most popular kids gamified learning IP ‘Kiddopia’- the #3 grossing app for children between 2-8 years of age in the United States of America.
Since Nazara’s 50.91% stake buy in Paper Boat Apps, Kiddopia has scaled up significantly and become a much-loved franchise among children globally. As a result, this step will allow Nazara to benefit from healthy cash flows that can be reinvested for organic as well as inorganic growth.
That being said, in FY24, Paper Boat Apps posted a consolidated revenue of Rs 219.4 Crores and an EBITDA of Rs 56.1 Crores in FY24, with a net cash balance of Rs 155.74 Crores as of March 2024.
Nazara aims to execute a multi-pronged strategy to drive growth and expansion of the Kiddopia franchise through IP licensing and integration, global market expansion, deeper synergies within its network, and additional revenue streams including merchandising, video, and advertising revenues, in addition to the current model of subscription revenues.
Commenting on the development, Nitish Mittersain, CEO and Joint Managing Director, Nazara Technologies, said, “At Nazara, we believe an IP such as Kiddopia has immense potential that can be unlocked through several new initiatives and acquiring full ownership underscores our commitment to intensifying our efforts in the gamified learning sector.”
He added, “Nazara is quickly becoming the go-to platform for entrepreneurs in the gaming, sports, and entertainment sectors globally to access opportunities to scale up and generate liquidity for themselves along the way, as exemplified by this transaction.”
Anupam Dhanuka, Promoter of Paper Boat Apps, remarked, “It has been an incredible journey developing Kiddopia into a beloved app for children and parents worldwide. Following the majority acquisition by Nazara, Kiddopia has scaled tremendously, and we are pleased to see it find a permanent home within Nazara. We believe that Kiddopia has significant potential for future growth, and Nazara is well-positioned to elevate it to the next level. We wish Nazara and the entire Kiddopia team the best of luck in their future endeavours.”
