The naoo Group demonstrated substantial growth in the first half of 2025, with consolidated group revenue surging to CHF 4.3 million compared to CHF 0.42 million during the same period in 2024. This tenfold increase primarily resulted from the strategic acquisition of Kingfluencers, Switzerland's leading influencer agency with more than 3,800 creators and over 300 clients. The integration has expanded the group's reach and customer network while adding stable, profitable agency revenues to its portfolio.
Gross profit showed significant improvement, rising to CHF 1.62 million from CHF 0.07 million in H1 2024, with the gross margin more than doubling to 38% from 16.0%. Despite these positive revenue developments, EBITDA stood at -CHF 1.22 million, reflecting extraordinary expenses of approximately CHF 0.9 million allocated for growth initiatives and the Kingfluencers integration. Net income for the period was -CHF 1.95 million compared to -CHF 0.52 million in the prior year period.
The strategic importance of this development lies in the creation of a unique market position that combines agency expertise with platform technology. This synergy provides the naoo Group with enhanced market presence and competitive advantages in the evolving social media landscape. The combination allows for more comprehensive service offerings to both content creators and business customers seeking authentic digital engagement.
Technological advancements played a crucial role in the company's strategic positioning. In June 2025, the naoo Group launched Gaia, a central data lakehouse serving as the foundation for AI applications including naooSense 2 in the feed and a new semantic search engine. This infrastructure offensive represents a significant investment in future capabilities that could transform how users interact with social media platforms.
Initial collaborative initiatives with Kingfluencers have already demonstrated the platform's growing attractiveness. These include the launch of naoo Mirror+, onboarding of creators with over 3 million followers, and the inaugural KING Awards honoring creativity and authenticity in social media. The complete half-year report detailing these developments is available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ePwv45XPRs7KISD9EvjCqq4vL_6zOLmj/view.
Leadership enhancements further strengthened the company's commercial capabilities with the addition of Gregor Doser, who spent 13 years at Google Switzerland and was instrumental in building YouTube Switzerland, and Philip Hofmann, bringing over 15 years of sales and media experience. These appointments, combined with an adjusted 4-pillar sales strategy at Kingfluencers, position the company to deepen customer relationships and establish strategic partnerships.
Karl Fleetwood, CFO & COO of the naoo Group, emphasized the strategic foundation laid during this period, noting that the integration of Kingfluencers and expansion of AI infrastructure positions naoo as a leading, high-growth technology and media company for the long term. Dr. Thomas Wolfensberger, Founder and Senior Advisor, indicated plans to maintain strong growth momentum through innovation, new features, products, and regional expansion in coming periods.
The implications of this growth trajectory extend beyond financial metrics, representing a shift in how social media platforms can leverage both human creativity through influencer networks and artificial intelligence through advanced data infrastructure. This dual approach could set new standards for user engagement and monetization strategies across the digital media industry.
