Strengthens North’s presence in the home vertical and adds specialty and outdoor to their growing portfolio, which now reaches a combined audience of over 40 million monthly unique visitors

New York — October 6, 2020 — North Equity, a leading digital media venture equity firm, today announced that it has acquired a number of media brands from Bonnier Corporation. The acquisition includes Popular Science, Popular Photography, Saveur, Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, Better You and Interesting Things.

The additions complement North Equity’s robust home platform, where Saveur will join BobVila.com and Kitchenistic to form a new food category. They will also create a new specialty media vertical under Popular Science and Popular Photography, and expand North’s growing footprint in the military, tactical and outdoor verticals, where it recently added Task & Purpose, one of the leading digital media properties for active-duty military and veterans.  

“Since inception, the North team has proved our ability to acquire, reimagine and profitably grow media brands,” said Andrew Perlman, North Equity Managing Partner. “We have accomplished this by working with the teams at each brand to deliver high-quality, meaningful content and build innovative, sustainable business models. We’re excited to have the opportunity to add such venerable brands to our portfolio and look forward to working with the amazing people behind them.”

The brands being acquired include three 100-plus-year-old publications—Popular Science, Outdoor Life and Field & Stream—and represent some of the most trusted voices in science, outdoor and food. Collectively, they engage nearly 10 million monthly online unique visitors, another 15 million followers on social media, and have 1.7 million loyal print subscribers.

“Bonnier has been the proud owner of Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, Popular Science and Saveur for more than a decade. These brands exhibit a tremendous amount of authority in their genres and have earned the trust of their readers, and we’re excited that North Equity recognizes the value these brands have in the marketplace,” said David Ritchie, chief executive officer, Bonnier Corp. “We believe North Equity is best-positioned to continue to invest in and grow these iconic legacy brands.” 

North Equity is committed to developing high-quality, trusted content, while empowering media brands and content creators to scale audience and engagement. North will be applying its proprietary operating model and technology platform—which have resulted in profitable, triple-digit year-over-year traffic and revenue growth in its home and auto platforms, which includes BobVila.com and The Drive—to grow the legacy of the acquired brands and position them to thrive into the future.

Baker McKenzie and Bailey Duquette advised North on this transaction.

About North Equity

North Equity LLC is a venture equity firm that acquires, builds and scales transformative digital media brands using a proprietary combination of operational, data and technology expertise. The portfolio currently focuses on the automotive, home and military verticals, and includes The Drive, BobVila.com, The War Zone and Task & Purpose, among others. Since acquisition, these brands have been strategically building market-leading positions, optimizing cash flow, and transforming their category in the digital content landscape. North’s investment team has extensive experience in the intersection of technology, data, and media as private investors and operators. North, based in Miami with offices in San Francisco and New York, will continue making strategic acquisitions across the digital-media and technology landscape.

About Bonnier Corp.

Bonnier Corp. is an American enthusiast media company with iconic multichannel brands extending into all platforms, including magazines, digital media, events and product licensing. Bonnier Corp.’s brands include Yachting, Flying, Sailing World, Salt Water Sportsman and Working Mother​. Other business subsidiaries include Bonnier Events, a full-service promotion and events group, and Working Mother Media’s diversity and inclusion consulting group. Bonnier Corp. is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a globally operating media conglomerate.

Bonnier Corp. publisher of SAVEUR magazine, is expanding its SAVEUR Selects™ licensing program with a new line of SAVEUR Selects™ kitchen knives and cutlery accessories, announced today by Elise Contarsy, senior vice president of Bonnier Consumer Products. The line will be manufactured and distributed by Cangshan Cutlery Company, based in Chino, CA, and features a variety of kitchen knives, including chef’s knives, paring knives, steak knives, and bread knives, as well as sharpeners, block sets, shears, cutting boards, and a full complement of kitchen tools and accessories. 

“We continue to grow our SAVEUR Selects™ program, and we’re very excited to partner with Cangshan Cutlery Company to introduce our new line of knives and kitchen accessories,” Contarsy said. “Their innovative design and high-quality, professional-grade cutlery are the tools that the SAVEUR audience, and all home chefs, look for when cooking at home.”

“Partnering with a global brand like SAVEUR will help us expand our reach and enter a new phase of growth for our company,” said Henry Liu, president of Cangshan Cutlery Company. “We are thrilled to align ourselves with such a well-known and beloved culinary brand.”

The SAVEUR Selects™ knives and cutlery accessories will be distributed in the US and Canada, and will be available at retail beginning late 2020. Bonnier Consumer Products first announced licensing partnerships for SAVEUR Selects™ cookware and bakeware in 2019, followed by SAVEUR Selects™ sauces, marinades, and spice rubs, all of which are currently available online and in select stores.

Bonnier Corp. is actively seeking new licensees and partners for the SAVEUR Selects™ brand in kitchen electrics, confections, frozen, and other categories. For more information, contact Richard Oren at [email protected].

ABOUT BONNIER CORP.
Bonnier Corp. is the largest enthusiast media publishing group in America, with more than 20 multichannel brands extending into all platforms, including magazines, digital media, events and product licensing. Bonnier Corp.’s iconic brands include Popular Science, Saveur, Field & Stream, Yachting, Flying, Sailing World, Salt Water Sportsman, Working Mother and Outdoor Life. Bonnier Corp. is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a globally operating media conglomerate.

ABOUT CANGSHAN CUTLERY COMPANY
Cangshan Cutlery, a fresh, new knife brand, came to market in 2015. With a focus on forward-thinking aesthetics and professional-caliber functionality, Cangshan Cutlery sought to bring something innovative to the culinary world. In the five years since their launch, they have won 29 design awards, including multiple Red Dot and German design awards for their exceptional design and craftsmanship. Cangshan Cutlery has expanded rapidly, gaining acceptance among consumers as a premier cutlery line—both online and in major retail stores.

August 25, 2020 (New York, NY)—Bonnier Corp. has signed a licensing agreement for its iconic brand Popular Science with Celestron Acquisition LLC, it was announced today by Elise Contarsy, Senior Vice President of Bonnier Consumer Products.

Founded in 1960, Celestron offers the largest selection of consumer optical products in the world and is the global leader in telescope manufacturing. An industry leader for more than 60 years, Celestron will produce an extensive line of Popular Science products that will include telescopes, microscopes, sport optics and accessories. The deal was brokered by Evolution USA LLC, the licensing and brand management agency that represents the Popular Science brand worldwide. 

“We are very excited to be entering this category because it is such a natural extension of the Popular Science brand,” Contarsy says. “In Celestron, we’ve found a partner that produces top-quality products and is the industry leader. We’re especially enthusiastic given the growing consumer interest in spending more time outdoors.” 

“For decades, Popular Science has been a leading source of knowledge and information for science aficionados of all ages and expertise,” says Stephanie Schroeter, Vice President of Marketing and Product Development, Celestron. “We are very excited to not only further integrate our products with the Popular Science community, but to also expand our catalog with these new Popular Science product offerings.” 

Products will be available in summer 2021 in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand across all distribution channels. 

Bonnier Consumer Products and Evolution are continuing the expansion of the Popular Science brand and are actively seeking additional licensees in audiovisual, portable power, home security, LED lighting, home furnishings, housewares, personal care, automotive, electronics and gadgets. For additional information about the Popular Science brand, please send inquiries to Travis J. Rutherford at [email protected] or call 512-828-6362.

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ABOUT BONNIER CORP. 

Bonnier Corp. is one of the largest special-interest publishing groups in America, with more than 20 multichannel brands extending into all platforms, including magazines, digital media, events and product licensing. Bonnier Corp.’s brands include Popular Science, Saveur, Field & Stream, Yachting, Flying, Salt Water Sportsman, Cycle World, Working Mother and Outdoor Life. Bonnier Corp. is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a multichannel media conglomerate operating in 15 countries.

PRESS CONTACT

Cathy Hebert, [email protected], 212-779-5023

ABOUT CELESTRON

Celestron envisions a global community where the exploration of the universe is accessible, informative and enlightening. For more than half a century, the California-based company has been the world’s most recognized telescope brand and the provider of premier consumer skygazing products. Celestron’s iconic “orange tube” telescopes have become ubiquitous within the field of astronomy, and the company offers the largest product selection within the telescope industry. To learn more about Celestron’s new products, visit celestron.com or join the Celestron’s Facebook community at facebook.com/celestron.

PRESS CONTACT

Gabe Uribe, [email protected], 323-916-4007