Tarsus Group has announced investments in two US-based events businesses, FounderMade and Health Connect Partners (HCP). The acquisitions mark the latest in a busy year for the global B2B media group. which has completed six investments throughout 2021 while also reopening in-person events in the majority of its key territories.
FounderMade and HCP will join Tarsus Group as part of its newly created Tarsus Health division, which will cover the healthcare, wellness and nutrition industries. In addition to the new acquisitions, the division will also be comprised of existing Tarsus Medical brands (A4M, LiVDerm, PAINWeek and CMHC) along with BodySite, the digital health platform acquired earlier this year. Tarsus Group plans to add additional healthcare and wellness brands to the growing division in 2022.
Launched in 2015, FounderMade hosts events focused on wellness, beauty and health for innovative and emerging brands to connect with leading retailers, solutions and investors. FounderMade focusses on helping businesses grow by providing a discovery platform that delivers networking opportunities, innovative product discovery and world-class education. The business runs two well-established tradeshows – Discovery Show East and West – and has also launched a successful virtual event series in response to the challenges created by the pandemic. FounderMade plans to run a full calendar of in-person and virtual events in 2022 while also developing niche shows to target current verticals more deeply.
CEO and founder Meghan Asha will continue to run FounderMade alongside President and COO, Lauren Everhart. Speaking on the acquisition Asha says, “FounderMade was born out of a passion to help best-in-class consumer businesses scale and innovate. We are really excited to be joining Tarsus Group. We have found a partner that not only values our authenticity and the special community we’ve built, but will also give us the tools and support to further grow FounderMade.”
In addition to the FounderMade deal, Tarsus has also completed on an investment in Health Connect Partners. Launched in 2006, HCP currently delivers events in five sectors across the acute care hospital market – Pharmacy, Supply Chain, IT, Radiology and OR/Surgical. HCP events are focussed on connecting buyers and suppliers through industry-specific events featuring one-to-one meetings, education and networking. The targeted, matchmaking nature of HCP’s model meant that the business was able to successfully switch to running online events when restrictions impacted live events. The business will continue to offer virtual follow-up events to their in-person offering going forward.
The HCP team will remain in place and the business will continue to be headed up by CEO and co-founder David Mason. Speaking on the investment by Tarsus he said: “This partnership marks a pivotal moment for our company that will allow us to grow our business as we continue to provide first-class educational and networking events for our customers. Whether together in-person, or live on-line, we will continue to produce events that foster an environment where real business relationships can be built and nurtured. We are looking forward to our partnership with Tarsus and the mutual opportunities for continued growth.”
Commenting on the acquisitions Tarsus Group CEO Douglas Emslie, said: “I’m delighted that FounderMade and Health Connect Partners are joining Tarsus Group as part of our Tarsus Health division which is a key focus area for the business going forward. These companies perfectly embody what we look for when bringing new brands into the portfolio – strong events that understand and meet their customers’ needs, driven by entrepreneurial and energetic teams. They understand the power of face-to-face interaction and have in-person events at their core; HCP’s one-to-one model is a format we have seen deliver strong results in our Connect division. I’ve also been particularly impressed by how FounderMade and HCP have weathered the storm of the past two years by creating strong online offerings. I’m really pleased to be working with Meghan, David and their teams to develop their businesses and look forward to an exciting future ahead.”
