Bestofmedia Group

Bestofmedia Group operated as a French digital media publisher with a strong focus on high-technology news and product reviews. The company was founded in 2000 by Alfred Véricel and Eric Florand, launching its first website, BestofMicro.com, in June of that year. Véricel, who served as CEO, had previously sold his first company in 1999 and used the proceeds to finance the start of this new venture.

The group's business strategy centered on acquiring specialized high-tech websites to build a comprehensive information and community hub. Key milestones included the acquisition of the price comparison site BuyCentral in 2002, Presence-PC.com in 2004, and Infos-du-net.com in 2005. A transformative moment came in 2007 with the purchase of TG Publishing, which owned the globally recognized brand Tom's Hardware. This acquisition was a pivotal part of its international expansion, leading to the consolidation of its French-language sites under the Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, and Tom's Games brands. The business model was based on generating revenue through advertising and e-commerce, driven by objective product tests, news, price comparisons, and active user forums across its portfolio of sites.

By 2008, the company had taken its first external funding, raising $35 million from Index Ventures to fuel further growth and acquisitions. At that point, it was ranked as the third-largest online tech publication by traffic. In July 2013, Bestofmedia Group was acquired by the U.S.-based TechMediaNetwork in a deal that was primarily stock-based. TechMediaNetwork later rebranded as Purch. Subsequently, in 2018, the consumer division of Purch, which included the former Bestofmedia assets like Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware, was sold to Future PLC.

Keywords: digital publishing, tech media, product reviews, price comparison, content and commerce, online advertising, affiliate marketing, media acquisition, Tom's Hardware, international media