October 9, 2014

Scripps acquires weather app publisher WeatherSphere

The E.W. Scripps Co. has acquired WeatherSphere, the publisher responsible for weather apps such as RadarCast, Hi-Def Radar, WeatherAlerts and Lightning Cast for an undisclosed amount. According to a report published by TechCrunch on Tuesday, Scripps made the acquisition to diversify its offerings and will add the WeatherSphere applications to its portfolio alongside its preexisting weather app, StormShield. WeatherSphere CEO Raghav Gupta told TechCrunch he will retain leadership of his team.

According to its website, the WeatherSphere brand represents the synthesis of science and simplicity. "We focus on immediate information by providing a collection of applications that are straightforward, reliable, and built with the user in mind." This approach has clearly been successful for the company — more than 3 million people use apps developed by WeatherSphere.

Founded in 2011, WeatherSphere was created by Gupta after the tornado outbreak in Joplin, Missouri that year. Gupta sought to develop an app that would alert users to nearby weather-related threats in real time.

A press release published on the Scripps website called the acquisition a sign of the company's "commitment to weather coverage wherever it's needed," and stated that Scripps is adding to its profit-generating digital assets portfolio. In addition to mobile applications, the company's portfolio is comprised of various television and print brands, and "runs an expanding collection of local and national digital journalism and information businesses, including mobile video news service Newsy," according to its official website.

This acquisition is a prime example of how a technology acquisition can expand the acquiring company's portfolio, exposing their offerings to a wider customer base and providing the acquired business with more substantial resources. If you are looking to buy or sell a tech company, contact an M&A advisor to explore your options.