AI-powered marketing cloud provider Zeta Global has announced a definitive agreement to acquire martech business, Marigold in a deal worth $(US)325 million.

The acquisition encompasses Marigold Loyalty, Cheetah Digital, Selligent, Sailthru, Liveclicker, and Grow. Marigold's SMB businesses, including Campaign Monitor, Emma, and Vuture, are not part of the transaction.

Zeta says the acquisition will enhance its penetration of Fortune 500 brands and advance Zeta's 'One Zeta' model by creating cross-sell and up-sell opportunities to over 100 new global enterprise brands.

Zeta Global leverages AI and consumer signals to enhance marketing efficiency. The company was founded in 2007 by David A. Steinberg and John Sculley and is headquartered in New York City.

David A. Steinberg, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Zeta Global, stated, "This acquisition fits squarely within our disciplined criteria to pursue accretive, strategically beneficial M&A and creates a combined business that is far greater than the sum of its parts – a true ‘1+1=4’ opportunity."

He added, "By combining Marigold’s enterprise marketing strengths in loyalty, omni-channel engagement, and personalization with Zeta’s AI-powered platform and global data assets, we expect to strengthen our combined offerings, deepen customer relationships, and deliver more value to enterprises seeking to capitalize on AI and first-party data."

"We also believe we will bring substantial benefits to Marigold’s customers through our One Zeta model. We’re excited about partnering with the strong team at Marigold to deliver even greater measurable business outcomes for the world’s leading brands," he said.

Michael Gordon, CEO of Marigold, commented, "Marigold’s world-class team has built technologies with a reputation for helping leading brands create meaningful, data-driven customer experiences."

He continued, "Zeta, a company with significant resources that shares our commitment to innovation and measurable results, is an ideal home for our products, strategy, and team, and we expect this transaction will result in greater value for Marigold’s customers."

The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.