Drinks industry data and insights provider IWSR has been acquired by trend forecasting company WGSN.
The move sees IWSR purchased from its previous owner Bowmark Capital, a private equity firm that had owned it since 2021.
The acquisition comes amid a strategic expansion at WGSN, which is seeking to grow its forecasting capabilities, AI, data analytics and insights across a suite of consumer industries.
WGSN, which is backed by investment from Apax Partners LLP, indicated its step into the drinks world with its launch of its food & drink platform in 2020.
CEO of IWSR, Julie Harris, is anticipating the change will be an exciting forward step for the insights provider.
She commented: “This is a major milestone for IWSR and a testament to the enduring value that our data and insights bring to our client base, as well as the progress we’ve made over the past few years.
“We are deeply grateful for Bowmark’s support and expertise, which was pivotal in enabling us to launch new products and deliver on our growth objectives, helping us to further cement IWSR as the leading provider of data and insights to the global beverage alcohol industry. Now we look forward to building on that foundation and accelerating our next phase of growth with the support and scale of WGSN.”
Carla Buzasi, CEO of WGSN, added: “We believe that this move marks an important watershed for both WGSN and the food and beverage industry as a whole, as it illustrates the transformative power unleashed when data science and human expertise are combined.”
At present, IWSR serves over 250 clients across more than 160 countries.