Waypoint Partners are delighted to have advised on the sale of XX Artists to S⁴Capital plc. XX Artists is a digital marketing agency founded by Kyle Kuhns. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California with teams worldwide, they are one of the most exciting social media and influencer marketing businesses to come out of the US in recent years. Kyle has led the agency through its phenomenal growth of over 100% in the last year, with 2021 revenues in excess of $25m and gross profit in excess of $12m, all while remaining true to his original vision and ethos. 

The agency works with brands including Google, YouTube, Logitech, and Ancestry.com, crafting best-in-class social content strategies, backed by insights and culture, to build brand value and community online. XX Artists pride themselves on their creator-first positioning and their commitment to producing accessible, inclusive content intended for global audiences.  A team of 125 employees, the business is committed to inclusion and representation. It is majority-female and majority-diverse, with over a third of the team identifying as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and being recognised as a LGBT Business Enterprise by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Speaking about the deal, Kyle said

Waypoint, and in particular Brett Davis, have served XX Artists as trusted confidants. Brett has remained a fierce advocate for the value that XX has built in our people and services, and his work will have a lasting impact on how we will continue to be most effective in delivering our best-in-class social and influencer marketing services in combination with Media.Monks and S⁴Capital.

Brett Davis, our managing partner in the US who led this transaction counts it as one of the most dynamic and captivating he’s handled in recent years. In a follow-up post Brett will tell us more about what it was like working with one of the brightest young agency founders he’s met in his M&A career.