Founded in 2010, with 25 employees in Melbourne and Sydney, Lens10 offers services including analytics audit and measurement strategy, analytics dashboards/data visualisation and data integration.

The deal, not yet completed, is pending approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. It would be S4 Capital’s second acquisition during the Covid-19 pandemic, following its purchase of data and analytics company Digodat.

Martin Sorrell, executive chairman of S4 Capital (pictured), said: “Covid-19 has clearly accelerated the existing digital transformation trends affecting consumers, media owners and enterprises. As a result, data analytics will be even more important as marketers seek to fast-track digital transformation plans and we have certainly seen that in the explosive demand from our clients for these services.” 

Merging Lens10 with MightyHive will expand S4 Capital’s existing data and programmatic operations in Australia. Lens10 will also join the company’s content practice, which was established in 2019 with the acquisition of Australian marketing and customer experience company BizTech (now MediaMonks).

Michelle McGrath, chief executive and co-founder of Lens10 said: “By teaming up with MightyHive, Lens10’s existing bench of advanced analytics experts is now positioned to offer global capabilities, along with media consulting and media buying solutions, to clients.”  

Separately, S4 Capital, founded in 2019 by former WPP chief executive Sorrell, has appointed Miles Young as a non-executive director. Young was previously chairman and chief executive of WPP-owned Ogilvy, and is currently the warden of New College at Oxford University.