The two Tokyo-based firms have agreed to form a capital and business alliance through a third-party allocation of Digital Garage’s common shares to Dentsu, worth ¥2.6m. The purpose of the alliance is to enhance the corporate value of both companies via expanded and new services in the areas of digital marketing and business intelligence.

In a statement, the firms say that the main objectives of the business alliance will be aiding the discovery of the latest marketing technology in Japan as well as in North America and other international markets and promoting business intelligence and digital marketing business operations to clients by showing them how to use various datasets. The deal is expected to be complete on 11 January.

Dentsu is currently in the middle of buying UK media services group Aegis. It is likely that the deal, worth £3.2bn, won’t be completed until February owing to the slow process of Chinese regulators examining the takeover. The acquisition, announced in July 2012 and including the Aztec scan-data business and the Aevolve marketing effectiveness company, has recieved clearance from all other relevant national and regional competition authorities.