WellBear Advises Monstarlab Holdings on Acquisition of Genieology (UAE)

Deal Overview

Monstarlab Holdings, Inc. (headquartered in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO Hiroki Inagawa) acquired Genieology, a Dubai-based design consulting firm specializing in human experience and digital reinvention. The transaction was executed as part of Monstarlab's strategic expansion in the Middle East and was publicly announced on November 2, 2022.

WellBear served as the buy-side financial advisor to Monstarlab Holdings, supporting the transaction through closing while navigating the complexity inherent to cross-border M&A. The engagement required coordinated management of share acquisition under UAE legal frameworks, due diligence across cultural and business practice differences, and multi-party stakeholder alignment. This transaction stands as one of WellBear's representative cross-border engagements, executed in close collaboration with local advisors.

Deal Summary

• Acquirer: Monstarlab Holdings, Inc.
• Target: Genieology Design DMCC
• Location: Target HQ in Dubai, UAE. Acquirer HQ in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
• Industry: Design Consulting / Human Experience / Digital Reinvention
• Structure: Share Acquisition (Subsidiarization)
• Our Role: Buy-Side Advisor
• Announced: November 2, 2022

About Genieology

Genieology is a Dubai-based, cross-cultural, product-led design consulting firm with a distinctive positioning built around "transforming businesses into magical brand experiences." Specializing in digital storytelling, the company combines a deep understanding of each client's essence with purposeful, outcome-focused execution. Genieology has delivered human-centric digital transformation services to a wide range of enterprises and projects across the UAE and the broader Middle East, and its boutique, highly customized service model has been the engine of remarkable growth since founding.

About Monstarlab Holdings

Monstarlab Holdings is a global digital consulting group operating under the mission of "Unlocking Innovation Through Diversity." At the time of this transaction in 2022, the group operated across 20 countries and regions, serving major enterprises and public-sector clients through digital consulting and product businesses. Monstarlab's differentiation lies in its ability to combine diversity and geographic reach with cohesive global execution, contributing to economic diversification and digital transformation across the regions in which it operates.

Synergy

This transaction represents a meaningful milestone in Monstarlab's strategic commitment to strengthening its presence in the Middle East.

The combination brings together Genieology's local capabilities in human-centric digital transformation, built on deep trust and demonstrated results across the UAE and broader Middle East, with Monstarlab's global-caliber technology delivery platform. Together, the two firms are positioned to deliver integrated, advanced digital services across the UAE and the wider region.

As articulated by Genieology's founder Calvin Hart, the combination is built on a complementary foundation: Genieology brings the magic, Monstarlab brings world-class technology. The partnership establishes a platform for joint execution on smart city initiatives and large-scale, multi-year projects across high-growth markets including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Future collaboration is envisioned across next-generation digital domains such as Web3, AR, VR, and the metaverse, giving the combination strategic significance for the medium to long term.

Continuity

Genieology will continue to operate under the leadership of its founder Calvin Hart, with its brand, organization, and client and partner networks maintained. By combining its local strengths across the UAE and the Middle East with the global technology delivery capabilities of the Monstarlab Holdings group, the company is positioned to accelerate cross-regional digital transformation for clients throughout the region.

"Through this acquisition, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting and contributing to the region's economic diversification efforts through expanding our advanced service portfolio to drive digital transformation across different sectors in the UAE, the rest of the Middle East and beyond."

- Hiroki Inagawa, Group CEO and Representative Director, Monstarlab Holdings, Inc.

"Monstarlab is the ideal culture fit for Genieology, and we believe this partnership will further enhance our overall operational approach and provide the right ecosystem for future growth. Genieology brings the magic, and Monstarlab brings world-class technology to deliver excellence for our customers."

- Calvin Hart, Founder, Genieology

This entry is based on publicly available information (Monstarlab Holdings press release dated November 2, 2022). Non-public transaction terms are not disclosed.