Semrush acquires fast-growing SaaS PR tech company Prowly

16 September 2020

BOSTON. [16] September 2020 - SEMrush, a leading online visibility management and content marketing SaaS platform, has further expanded its ecosystem with the acquisition of a 100% stake in fast-growing public relations SaaS startup Prowly.com. Prowly’s previous investors include IQ Partners, Internet Ventures (an MCI Capital subsidiary), and online marketing agency Bluerank.

Disclaimer: The press release that you are about to view contains forward-looking statements regarding anticipated future revenues, growth, capital expenditures, management’s future expansion plans, expected product and service developments or enhancements. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of the following words (among others): “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “plan,” “should” or “anticipates,” or comparable words and their negatives. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees but are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations contained in these statements. SEMrush assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release in the event of changing circumstances or otherwise, and such statements are current only as of the date they are made.

Warsaw-based Prowly has enabled companies of all sizes to publish more than 75,000 stories to date, offering access to a media database of over 1 million journalists and influencers, CRM functionality, custom-tailored online newsrooms, e-mail campaigns, and sophisticated PR analytics. Prowly is trusted by global brands and has one of the highest ratings for digital PR vendors on G2 and Capterra software review websites.

Currently, Prowly is cash flow breakeven at over US$ 1 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR). Year over year ARR growth is in the triple digits, with the majority of new revenue coming from the US and Western Europe.

SEMrush Chief Strategy Officer Eugene Levin commented, “We had Prowly on our radar for several years, and once we saw that they could generate international traction, we decided to make an offer. The Prowly team has demonstrated strong execution thus far and we are excited to help them continue scaling globally. At a time when businesses are struggling to break through the noise and in-person meetings are rarely possible, digital PR platforms like Prowly bring more value than ever. Integrations with SEMrush can help Prowly users understand the SEO value of their PR activities. Further, we expect to add SEMrush content marketing tools to Prowly, offering users enhanced PR measurement capabilities and the ability to understand their overall brand health online.”

Prowly CEO and cofounder Joana Drabent added, “Over the last year we've had an opportunity to meet the amazing team behind SEMrush and learn the story of their success, which inspires us at Prowly and which we’re now a part of. Thanks to the technologies offered by SEMrush in the field of competitive intelligence, we can provide the PR industry with a completely new and fresh perspective on PR measurement.”

Prowly will continue to operate as a stand-alone brand, but it will also be tightly integrated into the SEMrush ecosystem, benefitting from SEMrush’s extensive data assets. Prowly’s CEO Joanna Drabent and CPO Sebastian Przyborowski will continue in their current roles.

About SEMrush

SEMrush is an online visibility management and content marketing SaaS platform that ensures businesses get measurable results from online marketing. Trusted by more than 6 million marketing users, SEMrush offers insights and solutions for companies in any industry to build, manage, and measure campaigns across all marketing channels. In 2020, Inc. Magazine named SEMrush to its list of America’s fastest-growing private companies, based on 3-year revenue growth. Disclaimer: Information about SEMrush’s future products and product plans is included for information purposes only and is not a binding commitment. The development, release, and timing of any SEMrush products, features or functionality remains at the sole discretion of SEMrush and is subject to change.

About Prowly

Prowly is an application for supporting the work of specialists in the field of Public Relations. Using a single tool, PR pros can create and manage media contacts from all over the world, distribute press releases and measure their effects as well as maintain an online newsroom supporting their brand. The application is available as a subscription service at prowly.com, where anyone working in PR can try it out for free for seven days.

Joanna Drabent