Keywords Studios PLC (AIM:KWS, OTC:KYYWF), the international technical and creative services provider to the global video games industry, has signed a conditional agreement to acquire consumer-facing digital support platform Helpshift, Inc for up to US$75mln.
Helpshift will be integrated with Keywords' Player Support business and will build on the long-standing existing partnership which has seen the two groups work together effectively for the benefit of many clients.
This will further be enhanced by Keywords' Kantan AI studio, which utilises an advanced machine translation tool to expand the number of languages supported in-app by Helpshift's platform, facilitating more efficient multilingual player support to the benefit of clients.
Bertrand Bodson, chief executive of Keywords Studios, commented: "We are excited to welcome the talented Helpshift team to Keywords after partnering with them for a number of years.
“We have seen first-hand the power of their technology and its ability to improve player engagement and retention… We are really looking forward to working with the team and supporting their growth as we continue to deliver against our long-term strategy for the group."
Eric Vermillion, chief executive of Helpshift, added: "We are excited to be able to combine with KantanAI and Player Support to provide a holistic, modern support journey fusing conversational AI, automation, translation, agent support, and more.
“Together, we will be able to cover the full spectrum of support needs and service levels, applying Helpshift's technology for efficiency and the seamless experience consumers want, and leveraging Keywords' agents to provide higher value-add interactions."
Helpshift is expected to deliver revenues of approximately US$20mln and an adjusted EBITDA of around US$2mln in 2022. Revenues are expected to grow strongly in 2023 and beyond, with the increasing scale supporting growth in adjusted EBITDA to over US$8mln in 2024.