Klopotek’s founding chief Ulrich Klopotek von Glowczewski opens the concluding Publishers’ Forum conference in Berlin in 2019. Amid the acquisition of Klopotek by the Montreal-based Valsoft and its Aspire Software, ‘Uli’ has stepped down after three decades in the role, with Peter Karwowski taking the CEO position and Nella Klopotek as executive vice-president for design and user-interface development. Image: Porter Anderson
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
‘Huge Perspectives for Development’
The news that the Berlin-based 31-year-old Klopotek has been acquired by Montreal’s Valsoft Corporation is being called by the two companies a big boost for Klopotek’s development in support of its customers.
“Valsoft acquiring Klopotek” the German company says in a backgrounder for those familiar with Klopotek, “creates huge perspectives for the development of both companies.
“The company’s founder, Ulrich Klopotek von Glowczewski, started the process of finding a reliable and visionary investor to help the company grow and make it more future-proof; the actual process of the merger was handled by the Co-CEO and CTO, Peter Karwowski, who will, from now on, be responsible as the new CEO of Klopotek with the support of Rafael Mazzeo,” who is Valsoft’s COO.
“Klopotek’s customers and many parts of the world and operating throughout the publishing sphere—supported by our belief in making business processes more modern and versatile—can thus be confident that our company will remain and further develop as an even more important driver of digital change.”
“Uli,” as he’s known to many—especially those who attended Klopotek’s long-running Publishers Forum conference in Berlin through 2020—has decided to step down after his more-than 30 years of work.
Peter Karwowski
In a statement issued by Valsoft and its Aspire operating group—the division that Klopotek is joining—Karwowski says, “This acquisition marks an exciting chapter in Klopotek’s journey and a significant step forward for Klopotek to extend its market position and offer new quality and services to our customers and the entire publishing industry.
“We’re thrilled to have found in Valsoft a strategic partner and investor to foster further growth and development for this next phase of growth, giving us a stronger basis to streamline our customers’ business and meet the changing market requirements.”
Rafael Mazzeo
For Valsoft, which sees Klopotek as the first publishing-vertical company to become part of Valsoft’s Aspire Software, Mazzeo says, “The acquisition of Klopotek aligns seamlessly with their mission to remain at the forefront of the publishing technology domain, equipping publishers with advanced tools and solutions to navigate the evolving landscape successfully. …
“Customers can rest assured,” Mazzeo says, “that Klopotek will continue to deliver exceptional products and services, catering to their evolving needs and preferences.”
Nella Klopotek: ‘Publishers’ Needs Evolve’
Perhaps the most readily familiar member of the Klopotek team to many of our readers is Nella Klopotek, Uli’s daughter. She’s the company’s executive vice-president for design and user-interface development, and she tells Publishing Perspectives that she will stay with the company’s management.
“In the last 30+ years,” she tells us, “our focus and dedication as a business have always been toward our customers and the publishing industry at large, discussing requirements, supporting business processes, and creating solutions.
Nella Klopotek von Glowczewski. Image: Adam Janisch
“Covering the entire supply chain and having a global view of the industry to bridge the regional markets, we’re thrilled to have found in Valsoft an investor who shares this sentiment.
“As we see the publisher’s needs evolve, facing challenges but also new chances, being part of the Aspire family gives Klopotek new possibilities to be a reliable partner for publishers.”
Klopotek’s backgrounder on its new move, we read that Klopotek has conceived of its development on two tracks.
“One part of this was a tech transition to create the intuitive, browser-based ‘Stream,’ a platform for user interaction and apps replacing and enhancing key solutions in many areas of publishing. An essential aspect of this transition is offering more sophisticated services to our customers, most importantly hosting options and support for crucial publishing processes in the Klopotek private or public cloud.
“The other part of Klopotek’s transition,” the brief says, “is implementing the next generation of leadership. For several years, the company has been restructuring its management, preparing it for new challenges and opportunities in the market.”
Now a key part of that generational component of managerial preparation, Nella Klopotek tells Publishing Perspectives, “So while the transition has just begun and will surely bring some changes, we’re excited to see how we can further strengthen the market.
“We want to build on our history and heritage and welcome new opportunities in opening this next chapter.”
More from Publishing Perspectives on Klopotek is here, more on mergers and acquisitions in world publishing is here, and more on the German market is here.