United Internet takes minority stake in marketing platform rankingCoach
Cologne, Germany-based rankingCoach, an online marketing platform used by hosters to serve SMB customers, raised €5m in funding from United Internet. United Internet Investment Holdings GmbH, formerly United Internet Ventures, is the investment vehicle. The investment arm has made other minority stake investments in technology companies that support hosters and service providers, such as messaging provider Open-Xchange and cloud infrastructure platform ProfitBricks. United Internet, parent to SMB hosters 1&1 and Strato, acquires 29% of rankingCoach and the investment is aimed at furthering product development and pushing go-to-market and expansion. RankingCoach goes to market directly, but has worked extensively with hosters and service providers as a channel to market. RankingCoach is already partnered with Strato and now it will have the substantial 1&1 customer base to sell through. The rankingCoach platform will roll out globally with 1&1 shortly and the long-term goal is to create a complete online marketing suite. The funding comes amid a period of strong growth for rankingCoach, which was founded only back in 2014. Online marketing remains a strong piece to the SMB value-add puzzle. GoDaddy, EIG and Web.com and Host Europe have all have acquired online marketing platforms.
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