Disposal of Social Intelligence

SDL announces an agreement to sell its Social Intelligence activities to Social Data Intelligence LLC ("SDIL")

Maidenhead, U.K.
4/20/2017 7:38:35 AM

20 April 2017, Maidenhead, U.K. - SDL plc ("SDL" or the "Group"; LSE: SDL), the global innovator in language translation technology, services and content management, today announces an agreement to sell its Social Intelligence activities comprised of two subsidiaries - Social Intelligence, Inc and SDL Technologies (Vietnam) Co Ltd (together, the “Social Intelligence Business”) -  to Social Data Intelligence LLC ("SDIL"). Completion of the transaction is expected on 2 May 2017.

The Social Intelligence Business designs and develops software and provides analysts’ services to collect, analyse and interpret Social Data.

Background to this transaction
In January 2016, SDL announced its strategic decision to divest certain non-core elements of the Group's technology business, being Campaigns, Fredhopper and Social Intelligence. As previously announced, the Campaigns business was sold on 2 November 2016 and the Fredhopper business was sold on 8 March 2017.

Details and financial impact of the transaction
SDL has signed a sale and purchase agreement with SDIL for the sale of its Social Intelligence Business.  The immediate cash consideration for the Social Intelligence Business disposal is £1.  As part of the transaction, SDL has agreed to subscribe for a $1 million unsecured 2027 loan note issued by SDIL.

The gross assets of the business being disposed amount to approx. £0.4 million and this transaction is expected to lead to a loss on disposal of approx. £0.5 million which will be accounted for within discontinued activities. The Social Intelligence Business made a loss before taxation in 2016 of £3.8 million which was reported as a discontinued activity in the Group's annual report.

Adolfo Hernandez, CEO of SDL, commented: "We are delighted to have found a home for stakeholders of the Social Intelligence Business, including employees and customers. The transaction concludes the sale of the Group’s non-core businesses."

This announcement contains inside information.


Get in touch
Contact us

About RWS

RWS Holdings plc is a unique, world-leading provider of technology-enabled language, content and intellectual property services. Through content transformation and multilingual data analysis, our combination of AI-enabled technology and human expertise helps our clients to grow by ensuring they are understood anywhere, in any language.


Our purpose is unlocking global understanding. By combining cultural understanding, client understanding and technical understanding, our services and technology assist our clients to acquire and retain customers, deliver engaging user experiences, maintain compliance and gain actionable insights into their data and content.


Over the past 20 years we’ve been evolving our own AI solutions as well as helping clients to explore, build and use multilingual AI applications. With 40+ AI-related patents and more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, we have the experience and expertise to support clients on their AI journey.


We work with over 80% of the world’s top 100 brands, more than three-quarters of Fortune’s 20 ‘Most Admired Companies’ and almost all of the top pharmaceutical companies, investment banks, law firms and patent filers. Our client base spans Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and North and South America. Our 65+ global locations across five continents service clients in the automotive, chemical, financial, legal, medical, pharmaceutical, technology and telecommunications sectors.


Founded in 1958, RWS is headquartered in the UK and publicly listed on AIM, the London Stock Exchange regulated market (RWS.L). 


For further information, please visit: www.rws.com.


© 2023 All rights reserved. Information contained herein is deemed confidential and the proprietary information of RWS Group*.
*RWS Group shall mean RWS Holdings plc for and on behalf of its affiliates and subsidiaries.