Blackstone to Acquire International Data Group, a Leading Market Intelligence and Data Platform for the Technology Industry

Blackstone (NYSE:BX) announced today that private equity funds managed by Blackstone (“Blackstone”) have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire International Data Group, Inc. (“IDG”) from Oriental Rainbow, LLC, a subsidiary of China Oceanwide Holdings Group, Co. Ltd. for an enterprise value of $1.3 billion.

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Founded in 1964, IDG provides market intelligence for the fast-growing technology industry. For more than five decades, it has delivered proprietary insights and data for technology suppliers and buyers on every major shift in the technology market -- from the invention of the personal computer and launch of the iPhone to the emergence of cloud computing and artificial intelligence. This new ownership will allow IDG to invest significantly in additional opportunities for ongoing growth across its technology and product portfolio, including strategic acquisitions to extend its market leadership position.

Peter Wallace, Global Head of Core Private Equity at Blackstone, said: “The high-quality data, analytics, and insights IDG delivers to technology leaders are only becoming more critical as the pace of growth and innovation accelerates. IDG has a trusted brand and deep knowledge of tech suppliers and buyers, and our investment will help the company accelerate its plans for creating even more advanced product offerings across its business.”

Vikram Suresh, Managing Director at Blackstone, said: “As technology ecosystems become increasingly competitive and complex to navigate, the need for deep market intelligence has become a requirement for established and disruptive technology companies alike. We look forward to partnering with the IDG management team to build on the success they have had in delivering these capabilities to the world’s largest technology companies.”

IDG, Inc. and its subsidiaries have made multiple recent acquisitions to further increase its capabilities for its customers. In 2020, it purchased Triblio to expand its software-as-a-service platform and bolster its ability to support robust marketing activation programs. Last month, it acquired Metri to increase its rich IT pricing dataset, adding IT budget and operations benchmarking and sourcing services.