Scott McNealy’s Wayin Buys EngageSciences, Brings in New CEO
One of Denver’s most prominent tech startups is announcing big moves today. Wayin, a social-media marketing company co-founded by Scott McNealy, the former Sun Microsystems CEO, has acquired EngageSciences, a digital marketing firm based in the U.K.
Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Wayin is bringing on EngageSciences’ chief executive, Richard Jones, to be CEO of the combined company, replacing McNealy (pictured), who will become executive chairman of the board. Jones will relocate from the U.K. to Denver in August, the company says, while other employees will remain in place. The companies have roughly equal-sized teams: Wayin has 56 employees, while EngageSciences has 49.
The goal of the acquisition is to combine Wayin’s social-media analysis tools with EngageSciences’ capabilities in delivering marketing campaigns, among other things.
Wayin has a track record of acquiring international companies. In 2014, it bought Comenta TV, a social media analytics startup based in Argentina.
Wayin was founded in 2011 and has raised in the neighborhood of $ 50 million in venture funding, most recently a $ 15.4 million round last September. Its investors include U.S. Venture Partners, SAP founder Hasso Plattner, law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, television producer Burt Sugarman, and McNealy himself.
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