Digital Agency Sandbox Acquired by MERGE

In the US, full-service digital agency Sandbox Group has been acquired by private investment firm Keystone Capital, through the latter's marketing and technology services agency group MERGE. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Chicago-based Sandbox offers a range of services for business and digital strategy, marketing execution, analytics, experience design and technology development. The agency operates from five locations across the US and Canada: Chicago, New York, Kansas City, Toronto and Orange County.

Sandbox will join MERGE, which offers capabilities including business and digital strategy, brand development, data analytics, and design and content creation for clients in the healthcare and financial services markets. All members of the MERGE and Sandbox exec teams will remain in leadership positions, with Patrick Venetucci (pictured) serving as CEO of the newly combined company, which will operate under the MERGE brand.

Bill Sommerschield, MD at Keystone, comments: 'Sandbox is a terrific complement to MERGE, rounding out our healthcare vertical with deep pharma expertise, providing advanced performance marketing capabilities, and adding shopper marketing. We look forward to aligning the agencies more closely in the coming months and watching their success as they collaborate to serve clients'.

Web sites: www.sandbox.com , www.mergeworld.com and www.keystonecapital.com .