Experian logo is seen on a smartphone in front of displayed same logo in this illustration taken, December 1, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Credit data company Experian has agreed to buy Brazilian cyber security firm ClearSale, it said on Friday, in a $350 million expansion of its footprint in Latin America's largest economy.
Experian, whose local subsidiary Serasa has a leading position in credit information in Brazil, said it is betting on the "highly complementary" deal to enhance its identity and fraud (ID&F) business in the country.
The London-listed company will pay 10.56 reais per share of ClearSale, which went public on the Sao Paulo stock exchange in 2021, a statement said. That implies a 23.5% premium over the Brazilian stock's Oct. 3 closing price.
ClearSale's shares jumped as much as 13% in early trading on Friday following the announcement.
"The acquisition of ClearSale extends our ID&F suite, adding transaction fraud detection to our existing strengths in account opening and account takeover fraud prevention," Experian Chief Executive Brian Cassin said.
The company sees Brazil as an attractive, high growth market and one of its strategic growth priorities globally, he added.
ClearSale has an active base of 7,400 clients and amassed 504 million reais ($91.72 million) in net revenues last year, company data shows, but its shares have lost nearly 70% since the initial public offering.
In a separate statement, ClearSale said the deal was a "recognition of its robust work" and benefited ClearSale and Serasa clients by "unifying their expertise and making it possible to offer more complete and efficient solutions".
Experian said the deal would cost up to 1.905 billion reais and be funded from a combination of existing cash resources and the issuance of Brazilian Depositary Receipts.
The deal requires approval from Brazilian regulators, which Experian expects to be granted in the first half of 2025.
It said it the deal should add revenues for ongoing activities of around 490 million reais and core earnings of some 130 million reais in the first full fiscal year of ownership.
($1 = 5.4952 reais)
(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; additional reporting by Alberto Alerigi Jr.; editing by Mark Potter, Jason Neely and Barbara Lewis)
