Time Out Group, which plans to be locally relevant in more than 50 cities around the world, has acquired personalisation software company LikeCube. Financial details weren’t shared.

Published: 16 Aug 2011

Time Out Group, which plans to be locally relevant in more than 50 cities around the world, has acquired personalisation software company LikeCube. Financial details weren’t shared.

LikeCube uses semantic analysis to give web and mobile users personalised recommendations.

Time Out, a provider of local information and cultural guidance to consumers, will use the intelligence gained from users’ “taste graphs” to further complement its editorial and deliver inspiring ideas online and via mobile.

David King, CEO, Time Out said that LikeCube will ensure the group can deliver the best, most relevant recommendations to its customers.

LikeCube's co-founder Eleanor Ford, said, “Our starting point at LikeCube was to allow users to discover the most relevant places, based on what they like and what people like them like, with Time Out this will become a reality.”

Transition

Time Out was founded in 1968 in London, and has since grown into a multi-channel media company that spans 35 cities across 24 countries.

In May this year, Oakley Capital Investments decided to make a significant investment in Time Out New York. This followed a previous 50% investment in Time Out London last November. The deal was structured to help Time Out become a global digital media group. (In November last year, Time Out, publisher of the weekly Time Out London magazine and the Time Out Guides, sold a 50% stake to private equity firm Oakley for around £10m).

The development has come at a stage when Time Out Group’s has been trying to expand its digital strategy, by investing in the development of a single multi-channel online platform powered by a central content database and transaction engine; and extend its mobile content offering and transaction capability.

Time Out’s websites have over seven million global unique users per month with page views in April 2011 exceeding 32 million.