April 3, 2017

Blue Acorn Acquired By Private Equity Firm

Liz Segrist  /  Charleston Regional Business Journal

One of Charleston's fastest-growing technology companies has been acquired by a private equity firm with locations in Toronto and New York City, according to a news release.

Beringer Capital bought Blue Acorn for an undisclosed amount. Blue Acorn will retain a "significant equity interest in the company," the release said, and the Blue Acorn team will continue to operate independently under company founder and CEO Kevin Eichelberger following the acquisition.

The company did not disclose any other details about the deal.

The Charleston-based digital commerce agency, which builds e-commerce platforms for companies, launched in 2008. The tech firm has about 100 employees operating out of two office buildings within the Half Mile North development along upper Meeting Street.

"The partnership will infuse Blue Acorn with new resources to accelerate the growth and innovation of its technology and services for brands and retailers," the release said. "Together, Beringer Capital and Blue Acorn will power the next generation of customer-centric commerce design and experiences."

Beringer partners with company founders with a focus on digital media and marketing services, according to its website.

"Brands and retailers today need multidisciplinary solutions to deliver unified experiences to their customers, wherever they are," Eichelberger said. "At Blue Acorn, our cross-discipline expertise has helped drive significant revenue growth for our clients. Together with Beringer, we'll be able to deliver content, technology, marketing and data to empower customer-centric commerce experiences for the enterprise."

Blue Acorn made Inc. 5000's Fastest Growing Companies in America list each year from 2012 to 2016. Clients include Le Creuset, Yeti, Everlast, Rebecca Minkoff and Hoover.