Rouse continues its global expansion with acquisition of Valea

December, 2022

Rouse continues its global expansion with acquisition of Valea

MML is delighted to have supported Rouse in its acquisition of Valea AB, a leading European intellectual property (“IP”) firm. The addition of Valea enhances Rouse’s capabilities in Sweden, one of the most innovative technology and Greentech regions in the world, as part of Rouse’s strategy to pursue greater integration and alignment of IP services globally. Valea comes with deep patent expertise and an enviable blue chip client base. Through the acquisition, Rouse and Valea clients will have the opportunity to access new markets and enhanced IP capabilities.

Rouse sees the acquisition of Valea as a natural fit, having had a presence in Sweden since July 2019. Meanwhile, Valea has been active in Sweden for over 100 years, and currently has three offices in the R&D intensive cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmo.

Rob Devonshire, Partner at MML, explains:

“Rouse is already an international leader in IP services, having built an unparalleled and highly specialised proposition over its thirty-year history. Rouse has a particular specialism in fast growth, complex international markets, supporting large corporates to manage, protect, and monetise their intellectual assets. We are thrilled to be partnering with Luke and his team to support the firm’s next phase of growth and are delighted to welcome the Valea team to the business.”

Luke Minford, CEO of Rouse, adds:

“We’re very excited about Valea joining Rouse. They have an outstanding team of IP professionals, and we can now connect them and their clients with the exceptional capabilities that Rouse has in the markets of Asia, the Middle East and Africa. It’s a great connection and connectedness is key to solving the complex multi-jurisdictional problems our clients face.”

This acquisition is part of a long-term strategy to build a truly global IP services firm. In the digital age, protecting intangible assets has become strategically imperative and Rouse acts as a leading advisor and service provider to many of the world’s largest brands, technology companies and multi-national corporations. Rouse’s clients have expressed a clear need for continued capability building, particularly in emerging technology and IP fields, as well as in the digital and data tools that enable faster and better decision making. With MML’s investment, Rouse intends to continue to expand its geographical and IP services footprint to help further penetrate the c.$30 billion global IP services market and build a global leader of scale.

Will Stewart (MML), Robert Devonshire (MML), Luke Minford (Rouse), Sara Holder (Rouse) and Edward Hardcastle (Rouse) led the deal.

Rouse was advised by Grant Thornton (financial and tax), Pinsent Masons (legal) and Setterwalls (legal).