Talkwalker, one of Luxembourg’s most high-profile start-up success stories, has been purchased by a US private equity firm.

Los Angeles-headquartered Marlin Equity Partners has bought a majority stake in the software company, which specialises in social media analytics, according to a press statement.

Founded in 2009 by Thibaut Britz and Christophe Folschette in Esch-sur-Alzette Technoport, Talkwalker now has four offices around the world and around 170 employees, according to its website.

The company said it expected to grow its international footprint beyond its four existing offices in Luxembourg, New York, San Francisco and Frankurt and hire 100 new employees as a result of the acquisition.

It will also focus on accelerating the development of its artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities.

Talkwalker’s founders and management team will continue to lead the company.

Robert Glaesener, chief executive at Talkwalker, who has led the company since 2010, said Marlin shared the company’s “ambition to accelerate growth in both existing and new markets”.

Talkwalker’s platform analyses online conversations on social networks, news websites, blogs and forums in 187 languages, which allows its clients to monitor how their brands are perceived by customers.

Article from Luxembourg Times