WeWork buys digital marketing company Conductor
Don't say it's just a real estate giant. WeWork, known for selling shared workspaces, has acquired 13-year-old digital marketing company Conductor Inc, the companies announced on Tuesday.
The news comes just a day ahead of Conductor's big conference in New York, where WeWork CEO and cofounder Adam Neumann was already scheduled to speak.
Why would WeWork want a company that champions SEO? The move aligns with WeWork's effort to provide clients with more than just real estate. The companies have already worked together since 2016. Additionally, Neumann and Conductor's CEO have known each other for years. They both went to Baruch College and left early to start companies, as WeWork's blog post shared.
"Whether it’s beautifully designed workspace, a robust community, or diverse suite of services, we want to help our members do what they love and ensure they have the tools to compete in the 21st-century economy," WeWork's blog post on the acquisition reads.
Conductor will operate autonomously, according to a source with knowledge of the deal. WeWork has promised Conductor that its day-to-day operations will stay similar but be accelerated with more cash flow and resources, company executives told Conductor employees on Monday. That idea sounds quite similar to WeWork's acquisition of Meetup late last year.
"Conductor joining WeWork is a validation of everything we’ve all been working towards — showing businesses how to use their power to help customers solve problems, make decisions, and find solutions," Conductor CEO Seth Besmertnik wrote in a blog post.
Conductor had raised $60.6 million and had previously taken on debt financing, according to Crunchbase. Meanwhile, WeWork is fueled by approximately $6.9 billion in venture capital funding.
Employees at Conductor have been offered the same jobs at the same compensation. When it comes to shares, vested options have been bought in the deal and will be converted into WeWork shares. Conductor employees' unvested options will be eliminated, and they will be allowed WeWork options.
Conductor's price tag was not disclosed. WeWork declined to comment, but confirmed all Conductor employees have been offered jobs at WeWork and that the response has been "incredible positive," according to a WeWork spokesperson.
Kerry Flynn is a business reporter for Mashable covering the tech industry. She previously reported on social media companies, mobile apps and startups for International Business Times. She has also written for The Huffington Post, Forbes and Money magazine. Kerry studied environmental science and economics at Harvard College, where she led The Harvard Crimson's metro news and design teams and played mellophone in the Band. When not listening to startup pitches, she runs half-marathons, plays with puppies and pretends to like craft beer.
