Mumbai: Nazara Technologies today announced the acquisition of additional 48.42% stake in Paper Boat Apps (PBA) from its promoters Anupam and Anshu Dhanuka for a sum of Rs. 300 crores. Thuis will be paid in cash in tranches. It now takes its ownership in PBA to 100%.
Paper Boat Apps develops and publishes the children’s digital gamified learning app ‘Kiddopia’ which is the #3 grossing app for children between 2-8 years of age in the US.
Nazara will also consider merging Paper Boat Apps into the company at the appropriate time to bring home one kids gamified learning IP ‘Kiddopia’. This step will allow Nazara to benefit from healthy cash flows that can be reinvested for organic as well as inorganic growth.
Since Nazara’s acquisition in 2019 of a 50.91% stake in Paper Boat Apps, Kiddopia has scaled up significantly and become a much-loved franchise among children globally said the company.
Paper Boat Apps posted revenue of Rs. 219.4 Crores and an EBITDA of Rs. 56.1 Crores in FY24, with a net cash balance of Rs. 155.74 Crores as of March 2024.
Nazara added that it aims to execute a multi-pronged strategy to drive growth and expansion of the Kiddopia franchise through IP licensing and integration, global market expansion, deeper synergies within its network, and additional revenue streams including merchandising, video, and advertising revenues, in addition to the current model of subscription revenues.
Nitish Mittersain, CEO, joint MD Nazara Technologies, said, “At Nazara, we believe an IP such as Kiddopia has immense potential that can be unlocked through several new initiatives and acquiring full ownership underscores our commitment to intensifying our efforts in the gamified learning sector. Nazara is quickly becoming the go-to platform for entrepreneurs in the gaming, sports, and entertainment sectors globally to access opportunities to scale up and generate liquidity for themselves along the way, as exemplified by this transaction.”
Anupam Dhanuka, promoter Paper Boat Apps, remarked, “It has been an incredible journey developing Kiddopia into a beloved app for children and parents worldwide. Following the majority acquisition by Nazara, Kiddopia has scaled tremendously, and we are pleased to see it find a permanent home within Nazara. We believe that Kiddopia has significant potential for future growth, and Nazara is well-positioned to elevate it to the next level. We wish Nazara and the entire Kiddopia team the best of luck in their future endeavours.”
