The Visualize Group has agreed to acquire eCOGRA, a gaming testing, inspection, certification and compliance (TICC) provider, from Hanover Investors Management LLP, the private investment firm said in a Business Wire announcement from New York and London.
eCOGRA, founded in 2003 and headquartered in London, provides compliance and certification services for iGaming customers and works with gaming software suppliers, platform operators and online gaming regulators in more than 50 jurisdictions worldwide. The company will continue under its existing leadership, with Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) Will Shuckburgh remaining in his role.
Visualize said eCOGRA is its second investment in the gaming TICC sector following its earlier closing of BMM Testlabs (“BMM”) this year. The firm said BMM and eCOGRA have complementary strengths, with BMM spanning a broader testing and certification spectrum and eCOGRA focused on the digital gaming segment. Visualize added that each company will continue to operate as an independently accredited business.
Will Shuckburgh, CEO of eCOGRA, said, “For more than two decades, eCOGRA’s mission has been to ensure that players can trust the games they play and that operators can meet the highest standards of compliance. As regulated gaming expands into new markets around the world, the demand for fast, rigorous, and reliable certification has never been greater. Partnering with Visualize gives us the resources to serve our customers better — to invest in our people, our technology, and our capacity — while continuing to operate with the independence and integrity that our accreditation partners and customers expect.”
C. C. Melvin Ike, Founder and Managing Partner of Visualize, said, “As high-conviction thematic investors, we back exceptional businesses and management teams providing mission-critical services in growing markets, and we build deep expertise in the sectors to which we commit. Building on our experience in regulated gaming, the independent testing and certification that both eCOGRA and BMM provide is fundamental to protecting players and sustaining the trust of regulators, and the two businesses bring distinct capabilities across online and land-based gaming. With eCOGRA, our intention is straightforward: to build eCOGRA into a generational business that can deliver faster, more responsive, and more innovative service to a fast-growing market that needs more high-quality service. We’re thrilled to partner with Will and the entire eCOGRA team.”
Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and clearances. Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and Greenberg Traurig acted as legal advisors for Visualize, while Macquarie Capital served as financial advisor for Hanover and eCOGRA, with Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP as their legal advisor.
