The acquisition is intended to strengthen Karger's publishing business and expand its service portfolio.
Research Publishing International were advised by Piers Russell-Cobb of MediaFund, specialists in mergers and acquisitions, with additional scientific publishing expertise provided by Ian Bannerman of Flagbear Media.
Together, RPI and Karger will support researchers and the Health Sciences/Healthcare ecosystem in making scientific findings more accessible and comprehensible to a wider audience, says Karger.
Karger supports the knowledge transfer cycle from scientific research to clinical practice, patients, and caregivers through its Healthcare publications and content services. By joining forces, RPI and Karger will also be able to provide more services to researchers who would like to have their work translated into easily accessible language and more creative formats, such as animations and podcasts, to reach a wider audience.
RPI is a broad service media agency specialised in working with scientists and researchers all over the world. It streamlines research removing barriers to communication and helps scientists reach global audiences by communicating scientific knowledge in an easy-to-understand language and an engaging creative format. It also provides a platform for researchers to share their studies whilst ensuring the work is in context by providing supporting data and conclusions.
Under Karger ownership, RPI will continue to operate as an independent company. It will remain active in other verticals alongside Health Sciences and serve a wide range of customers in the academic and corporate sphere, including publishers.
“The acquisition of RPI is a perfect addition to Karger and fully supports our strategy. It gives us the opportunity to expand our publishing business and offer more creative formats. It brings us closer to our goal of communicating science beyond the traditional journal article to a broader audience, thereby connecting the various stakeholders in health sciences,” says Daniel Ebneter, CEO at Karger Publishers.
Gabriella Karger, chairwoman of the board of directors at Karger Publishers adds that: “RPI’s slogan – 'Collaborate. Disseminate. Engage' – is another way of saying 'Connecting and Advancing Health Sciences', which is our claim at Karger. Our companies’ visions and values are an ideal match, and we are thrilled to be striving forward together.”
Simon Jones, founder of RPI, is also enthusiastic. He adds that “Research Publishing International are very pleased to join forces with Karger. The acquisition represents the brightest possible future for RPI, and we are all excited to become part of the Karger family. From small acorns do mighty oaks grow: With the support of Karger we are destined to become a mighty oak in the landscape of science communications!”
Emma Feloy, designated managing director at RPI adds: “We are delighted to join Karger. Together we will offer innovative communication tools to even more scientists around the world, helping more people access quality research information. The combination of Karger’s expertise and RPI’s creative services is an exciting prospect that our whole team is excited to be part of.”
