Gushcloud Acquires Majority Stake in TalentPlus Dubai

Gushcloud International has completed a majority acquisition of TalentPlus Dubai, a UAE-based talent management and influencer marketing firm it first invested in 15 months ago. The company confirmed that the business has been rebranded as Gushcloud TalentPlus, with TalentPlus founder Michel Chahda appointed as chief executive officer and partner of the group.

The transaction expands Gushcloud’s operational control in the Middle East and strengthens its capabilities in reserved media, creator intellectual property development, and cross-border monetisation across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the United States.

“The UAE has done a great job in recent years marketing itself to creators and is becoming one of the most strategic markets globally for creators to live, work, play and build their businesses and family offices out of. Hence, this majority acquisition is a strategic step forward for us at Gushcloud to have more control in this large growing market that great adds value to the creator ecosystem that Gushcloud is building,” said Althea Lim, Co-Founder and Group CEO of Gushcloud International.

The company cited regional momentum for creators: Strategy& estimates digital content will account for 46% of a projected $22 billion in media spending by 2024 in the Middle East, while GlobalWebIndex reports internet users in the region average 8.4 social accounts and spend about three and a half hours daily on social media. Gushcloud operates in 13 markets, including the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and France.