REA Group Ltd. has entered into a binding agreement to acquire a controlling interest in Elara Technologies Pte. Ltd., owner of Housing.com , PropTiger.com and Makaan.com , in a deal that includes unspecified amount of cash and newly-issued REA shares.
The transaction is expected to close in the current quarter, subject to confirmatory due diligence.
REA Group CEO Owen Wilson said, “India is an incredibly attractive market and one that provides excellent long-term growth opportunities, while complementing REA’s footprint in Australia, Asia and North America. The country is forecast to deliver strong growth over the next decade as it continues to experience rapid digital transformation.”
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“We plan to make significant investments in Elara going forward. With over 700 million internet users and roughly half a billion yet to come online, our increased investment in Elara will allow REA to be at the forefront of the considerable long-term opportunities within India, and the digitisation of the real estate sector,” he added.
Elara will continue to operate as a stand-alone entity within the REA Group structure. Dhruv Agarwala, co-founder and CEO, along with the current leadership team, will continue to lead the company.
REA Group along with News Corp., already owns a significant minority stake in the company.
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The company has raised equity capital of $105 million to date from News Corp, REA Group, Elevation Capital, Softbank and Accel, among others.