Online translations firm Straker raises a further $1 million for global acquisitions

Wednesday 16th December 2015

Straker Translations, the online translations platform, has raised a further $1 million of equity funding from an existing Hong Kong investor, who paid a 20 percent premium to the last capital raise in September.

The new capital comes just three months after Auckland-based company raised $6 million to fund expansion plans, including $4 million from David Kirk’s Bailador Investments, $1 million from Kong Hong-based Scobie Ward, and $1 million from several high-net worth New Zealand-based investors.

Straker founder Grant Straker said he hasn’t yet spent the money from the September fund raising and didn’t need the capital but the investor had “liked the progress we have made and wanted to be involved in our success so it was an opportunity to have a bit more in the tin at a fair price.”

“November was a great month where we had more than $1 million in recognised revenue and were profitable for the month, so we don’t have the burn rates of many other high-growth tech companies,” he said.

The company is looking at buying rival translations companies in Canada and the UK where there’s an opportunity to quickly acquire customers and add around 25 percent to profit margins by applying Straker’s cloud-enabled technology that allows translations to be delivered easily and with speed.

Ranked among the top 100 translation companies in the world, Straker employs 55 people, has over 10,000 customers in more than 20 countries, and earns 80 percent of its revenue outside Australasia.

The company has rejected the idea of listing on NZX’s new NXT market because of concerns it may end up undervalued but is considering a future main board listing.

Straker and his wife Merrin, who also works in the business, have retained a stake of around 35 percent in the company.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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