US carrier billing company Boku has acquired one of its leading competitors, Germany-based mopay, extending its network to hundreds of new online merchants and consumers worldwide.
The carrier billing platforms of both companies enable merchants of digital goods to bill charges directly to consumers' cell phone and land line accounts.
Mopay, which employs 100 staff, operates in more than 80 countries across the globe. The company has a blue-chip customer base including major brands such as Gameforge, Bigpoint, valve and Wargaming. Boku's existing global merchant base includes Facebook, Sony, Spotify, and Electronic Arts.
"By coming together we've created a company that can realise the vision of charging purchases to your phone bill as a truly global payment method at scale," says Jon Prideaux, CEO of Boku. "Together, Boku and mopay serve some of the largest digital merchants in the world and we have a tremendous pipeline in the works."
The acquisition comes just a week after Boku secured a tie-up with three of the UK's leading wireless operators to expand into the fully-regulated mobile payments market through the application of a European e-money license.