Bravery Group Serves as Exclusive Financial Advisor to Napkyn Analytics in its Sale to Kepler Group
ATLANTA, GA – 12.15.21 – Bravery Group is pleased to announce it served as the exclusive financial advisor to Napkyn Analytics, a leading digital analytics and engineering consultancy, in its sale to Kepler Group, a global digital services provider and portfolio company of the kyu Collective, the strategic operating unit of Hakuhodo DY Holdings Inc.
Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Napkyn is recognized as one of North America’s premier Google Marketing Platform consultancies, with deep capabilities spanning analytics implementation, marketing data engineering, and enterprise data strategy. As a Google Premier Solutions Partner, Napkyn enables leading brands to create, control, and connect their data across platforms to drive superior business outcomes.
The combination with Kepler creates a market-leading digital transformation partner with enhanced ability to deliver data-driven solutions to Fortune 500 clients. Napkyn will integrate with ADVZ, Kepler’s specialized subsidiary launched in 2021, creating a joint leadership team that extends Kepler’s core offerings in media, CRM, and advanced TV with Napkyn’s depth across Google Cloud and Google Marketing Platform, including Analytics 360, Tag Manager 360, Display & Video 360, and Campaign Manager 360.
Napkyn and Kepler together serve many of North America’s largest and most sophisticated advertisers, including AT&T, American Express, Dunkin’, HanesBrands, Infiniti, J.Crew, Nissan, PepsiCo, and Sanofi. The transaction underscores a sector-wide trend of advertisers consolidating first-party data activation and marketing technology infrastructure on global platforms such as Google, Adobe, and Salesforce.
Rick Greenberg, CEO of Kepler, commented: “This transaction unites Kepler’s breadth across every major media platform with Napkyn’s unrivaled expertise in Google-powered solutions. Together, we are uniquely positioned to help global brands internalize their data and accelerate digital intelligence activation.”
Jim Cain, Founder and CEO of Napkyn, added: “There are vast opportunities for marketers to harness data in increasingly sophisticated ways. Joining forces with Kepler allows us to expand our impact, focus on developing new services, and bring next-generation data solutions to market alongside our most forward-thinking clients.”
As part of the integration, Jim Cain will assume the role of Chief Innovation Officer of the combined entity, while Nish Patel, Napkyn’s COO, will become CEO of Napkyn Analytics, guiding the firm into its next phase of growth. Napkyn’s headquarters will remain in Ottawa while expanding into Kepler’s U.S. offices to strengthen cross-border collaboration.
This transaction highlights Bravery Group’s expertise in advising high-growth analytics, martech, and performance marketing firms on transformative cross-border combinations, where sector knowledge and operator-level insight are critical to maximizing valuation and identifying strategic fit.
About Napkyn Analytics
Founded in 2009, Napkyn is a digital analytics and engineering consultancy that helps leading brands activate and connect their data to inform critical business decisions. The firm is a Google Premier Solutions Partner and trusted advisor across automotive, financial services, hospitality, and other verticals.
About Kepler Group
Kepler, founded in 2012, is a global digital services provider that helps Fortune 500 brands use data to power dynamic, personalized marketing. Kepler is a member of the kyu Collective, alongside IDEO, Sid Lee, SYPartners, Godfrey Dadich, and BEworks.
About Bravery Group
Bravery Group is a boutique M&A and capital advisory firm focused exclusively on digital agencies, analytics, AdTech, MarTech, and commerce services. With operator-first leadership and senior-led execution, Bravery delivers precision advisory services to maximize founder and investor outcomes in high-growth digital ecosystems.
