IRI Acquisition & Valuation

IRI was acquired by Hellman & Friedman for $5B in April 2022.

See full IRI profile

IRI Overview

About IRI

IRI is a Chicago-headquartered market research firm specializing in big data analytics for consumer packaged goods, retail, and over-the-counter healthcare sectors. The company processes sales, consumer, and media data to deliver predictive insights on market trends and shopper behavior. IRI equips clients like Procter & Gamble and Walmart with actionable intelligence from its global databases.


Founded

1979

HQ

United StatesChicago, IL

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Services

Valuation

$5B (acquired Apr 2022)

IRI Acquisition

IRI was acquired by Hellman & Friedman for $5B on 7 April 2022.

In April 2022, Hellman & Friedman announced it would acquire a majority stake in Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) and merge it with NPD Group, an existing Hellman & Friedman portfolio company. The combination created a leading global technology, analytics, and data provider specializing in retail purchasing and consumption trends powered by IRI's Liquid Data platform. IRI is a fast-growing global leader offering cloud-based technology and services to more than 5,000 customers worldwide, with access to the largest integrated repository of purchase, media, social, causal, and loyalty data. NPD is a global provider of market information and advisory services across more than 20 industries. The transaction was valued at more than $8 billion according to Bloomberg reporting, though exact terms were not publicly disclosed. Hellman & Friedman led the ownership group, with existing long-term IRI investors Vestar Capital Partners and New Mountain Capital retaining significant stakes in the combined entity. The deal was expected to close in the second half of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions. Kirk Perry, then-CEO of IRI, became CEO of the combined company, while NPD Executive Chairman Tod Johnson became chairman of the board.

IRI acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePrice
  • Hellman & Friedman
7 Apr 2022PE buyout$5B

Acquisitions by IRI

IRI has acquired 3 companies to date.

Last acquisition by IRI was on May 4th 2021. IRI acquired Coin Out for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by IRI

Coin Out
Intelligent Shopper Solutions
Retail Solutions
Description
CoinOut is a digital cashback service rewarding users with cryptocurrency for in-store and online purchases anywhere Visa or Mastercard is accepted. New York-based since 2016, it scans receipts via app to distribute Bitcoin or stablecoin rewards from transactions at major retailers like Target and grocery chains. CoinOut processes millions in annual rebates without requiring loyalty cards.
Intelligent Shopper Solutions is a retail analytics platform facilitating data sharing between grocers and CPG suppliers. Acquired by Kognitiv in 2021, it processes loyalty card transactions to generate shopper insights, assortment optimization, and promotion effectiveness metrics. The system anonymizes data per privacy regulations, serving chains like Kroger and Unilever. Based in Toronto, it analyzes billions of transactions annually for shelf-space planning and personalized marketing.
Retail Solutions delivers cloud-based SaaS applications for consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers, offering demand intelligence, data integration, and shelf-level visibility. Clients including Bayer, Colgate-Palmolive, Kimberly-Clark, Kraft, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Walmart, Target, Walgreens, Kroger, Costco, and Tesco use its daily POS reporting and sales analytics to enhance product availability, optimize assortments, pricing, promotions, and reduce out-of-stocks.
HQ CountryUnited StatesUnited KingdomUnited States
HQ City
New York City, NY
London
San Francisco, CA
Deal Date4 May 202118 Mar 20218 Oct 2020
Valuationundisclosedundisclosedundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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IRI Competitors

IRI competitors include listed companies like Springer Nature, NIQ Global Intelligence, CRISIL and Gartner, and private ones like Piramal Group and Alida.

Public and private companies comparable to IRI
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
Springer NatureGermanyGermanyPublicly listed$2.2B$849M$4.8B2.7x
NIQ Global IntelligenceUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$4.2B$752M$6B2.2x
CRISILIndiaIndiaPublicly listed$388M$124M$3.4B7.1x
Piramal GroupIndiaMumbaiPrivate$729M$193M$2.8B3.8x
GartnerUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$6.5B$1.2B$12B2.1x
AlidaCanadaTorontoPrivate--$1.5B-

IRI Public Comps

IRI is no longer listed, but its public comps include Springer Nature, NIQ Global Intelligence, CRISIL, Ipsos, Clarivate, GlobalData, Mitsubishi Research, Latent View Analytics, Beijing Dataway Horizon and Gartner.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Springer Nature$2.2B$849M2.8x2.7x7.1x7.3x
NIQ Global Intelligence$4.2B$752M2.3x2.2x12.8x9.2x
CRISIL$388M$124M8.5x7.1x26.6x24.1x
Ipsos$2.8B$417M0.7x0.7x4.9x4.6x
Clarivate$2.5B$829M2.2x2.4x6.5x5.7x
GlobalData$433M$140M1.9x1.8x5.7x5.4x
Mitsubishi Research$768M$87M0.5x0.4x4.0x4.2x
Latent View Analytics$113M$28M3.4x3.1x13.9x14.4x

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Common questions about IRI

When was IRI founded?IRI was founded in 1979.
Where is IRI headquartered?IRI is headquartered in Chicago, IL, United States.
Is IRI publicly listed?No, IRI was acquired by Hellman & Friedman in April 2022.
Who acquired IRI?IRI was acquired by Hellman & Friedman in April 2022.
How much was IRI acquired for?IRI was acquired for $5B in April 2022.
Which companies are comparable to IRI?Companies comparable to IRI include Springer Nature, NIQ Global Intelligence, CRISIL, Piramal Group, Gartner and Alida.
How many companies has IRI acquired?IRI has acquired 3 companies, including Coin Out, Intelligent Shopper Solutions and Retail Solutions.

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