FINN Partners Acquires Barokas Communications to Bolster its Tech Practice and Fuel Expansion into Two of the Fastest Growing U.S. Markets

Acquisition Strengthens FINN Capabilities in servicing early stage, emerging and high-growth technology companies

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Jul 12, 2021, 08:34 ET

NEW YORK, July 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global independent marketing and communications firm, FINN Partners, announced today that it has acquired Barokas Communications, a tech-focused PR agency with offices in Seattle and Denver. Barokas serves early stage, emerging and high growth technology companies nationally across enterprise, B2B and consumer tech with a full suite of PR services.

Howie Barokas, Founder of Barokas Communications and Managing Partner, FINN Partners

Karli Barokas, CEO of Barokas Communications and Managing Partner, FINN Partners

Howie Barokas, Founder, and Karli Barokas, CEO of Barokas Communications, will join FINN as managing partners and become part of the agency's Global Tech Practice leadership team. The addition of Barokas bolsters FINN's fast-growing tech practice, expanding its ranks to almost 200 tech-focused colleagues globally with more the $30 million in tech sector revenues—amplifying FINN Partners' position as one of the nation's top independent tech agencies.

"FINN's technology practice is one of our firm's largest practices, with a broad portfolio of clients ranging from enterprise and consumer technology giants to mid-sized companies and innovative start-ups. The addition of Barokas will especially enable us to expand our expertise with earlier stage companies, which has always been a high growth, high opportunity sector," said Peter Finn, Founding Managing Partner and CEO, FINN Partners.

Beyond boosting FINN's capabilities, the acquisition of Barokas will help the agency capitalize on the dynamic economic growth in the country's Western region, specifically within Seattle and Denver. "We've long wanted to be in the high-growth markets of Seattle and Denver; it was just a matter of finding the right partner," added Finn. "According to the Seattle Times, new data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that Seattle was the fastest growing city in the U.S. in 2020. In addition, Denver's economy is booming as a leading tech hub with a robust start-up ecosystem and appealing quality of life."

"From our first meeting with Peter and Howard, we felt a strong synergy with FINN's independent spirit and core value of taking risks – two principles which have always been at the heart of our agency," said Karli Barokas. "With FINN's acquisition of Barokas, companies in Seattle and Denver now have a new option for a global powerhouse PR partner that can support brands across all stages of growth with fully integrated PR, marketing, digital and creative services. The outstanding work of our team has led us to this moment, and we see a huge opportunity to build momentum for FINN in two of the hottest markets in the country."

A core driver for the two companies coming together was a sense of shared values, namely client-focus and a commitment to delivering top tier results. "We connected with Howie and Karli immediately on a personal level and business-wise, we were just perfectly aligned in terms of what was important to both organizations," said Howard Solomon, Founding Managing Partner, FINN Partners. "We've also long wanted to be in both Seattle and in Denver but at the same time, we patiently sought out the right partner. We definitely found that in Barokas; they do terrific work, have a great team and an amazing roster of clients. And they also bolster our expertise in terms of serving earlier stage tech companies. Together we can now offer tech clients of all sizes powerful communications capabilities backed by global resources and scale," Solomon added.

About Barokas Communications

Barokas Communications is a tech-focused public relations agency that partners with companies who share a transformative mindset and an appetite for growth. With offices in Seattle and Denver, the agency delivers a custom mix of strategy, messaging and PR services for enterprise, B2B and consumer tech clients. Barokas Communications was founded in 1998 guided by the motto of 'PR Minus the BS.' For more information, please visit barokas.com.

About FINN

Founded in 2011 on the core principles of innovation and collaborative partnership, FINN Partners has more than quadrupled in size in eight years, becoming one of the fastest growing independent public relations agencies in the world. The full-service marketing and communications company's record-setting pace is a result of organic growth and integrating new companies and new people into the FINN world through a common philosophy. With nearly 800 professionals across 20 offices, FINN provides clients with global access and capabilities in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. FINN Partners clients are also supported through longstanding partner agencies and its membership in the PROI network of leading agencies around the world. Headquartered in New York, FINN has offices in: Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Hong Kong, Fort Lauderdale, Frankfurt, Jerusalem, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Nashville, Orange County, Paris, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Singapore and Washington D.C. Find us at finnpartners.com and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @finnpartners.