I-Texts Partner to Acquire Ebates
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2014 / Rakuten, Inc., announced that it has agreed to acquire Ebates for $ 1 Billion in cash. I-texts, Inc. (www.i-texts.com), a Worldwide Internet, Inc. (OTC Pink: WNTR) (WNTR) portfolio company, is a partner with Rakuten Linkshare.
Ebates is the pioneer and leader in online cash back shopping, which rewards shoppers with cash back on purchases while also providing access to thousands of coupons, discounts, promotions and special deals, including free shipping, at over 2,600 retailers. In 2013, members spent over $2.2 billion shopping through Ebates. Together, Rakuten and Ebates will be able to offer its members the most empowering—and rewarding—shopping experience available anywhere.
Ebates (www.ebates.com) is a provider of the largest membership-based online cash-back site in North America. The Ebates acquisition helps Rakuten foster an even more robust consumer-focused shopping experience, built on a membership-driven, loyalty-based platform. Ebates has been a long time partner of Rakuten Marketing, and specifically, Rakuten LinkShare
I-Texts has previously announced that it has partnered with Rakuten LinkShare as a publisher in its network so that the I-Texts charities can receive income when its registered donors purchase goods and services from the Rakuten LinkShare advertisers. There are more than 1,000 advertisers in the United States and more than 3,000 advertisers worldwide in the Rakuten Linkshare Network.
I-Texts now has more than 600 charities, 1,000 independent representatives and 13,000 active supporters in its database. In the last three months, I-Texts has doubled its number of charities and representatives and is experiencing strong growth.
The market for mobile advertising is expected to exceed $75 Billion dollars in 2015.
Frank Kristan, President of Worldwide Internet, Inc. stated that:
"We would like to congratulate Rakuten on its proposed acquisition and we are excited about our continuing partnership with Rakuten Linkshare and Ebates that will increase our shareholder value and provide for future dividends."
About I-Texts, Inc.
I-Texts has developed a state of the art technology platform that connects nationwide charities, donors and advertisers. In addition to providing a range of message delivery services, I-Texts unique business model generates positive income for charities through permission based connection of donors with advertisers. The company has over 500 charities more than 400 representatives nationwide. Information at www.i-texts.com.
About Rakuten
Rakuten, Inc., is one of the world’s leading Internet service companies, providing a variety of consumer and business focused services including e-commerce, e-reading, travel, banking, securities, credit card, e-money, portal and media, online marketing and professional sports. Selected by Forbes as 7th among the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2012, Rakuten is expanding globally and currently has operations throughout Asia, Western Europe, and the Americas. Founded in 1997, Rakuten is headquartered in Tokyo, with over 10,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit http://global.rakuten.com/corp/.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described from time to time in filings with the OTC Markets and. undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement made herein. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release.
Contact:
Frank Kristan
frankkristan@worldwideinternetinc.com
Phone/Fax: (206) 984-3470
SOURCE: Worldwide Internet, Inc.
