Connect Media, a privately held media company based in Los Angeles and the nation’s largest provider of commercial real estate news, acquired Networld Media Group, a Louisville, KY-based business-to-business media company delivering industry news and conferences for the restaurant, retail, banking and technology sectors, effective Jan. 30, 2026. Terms were not disclosed.
Connect Media operates across multiple business lines, including B2B news, conferences and full-service creative and agency services, primarily serving the commercial real estate, financial and capital markets sectors in the U.S. and Canada. Its portfolio includes Connect CRE, Connect Canada CRE and Connect Money. The acquisition of Networld expands Connect Media’s footprint into adjacent and complementary industries, while strengthening its overall media and events platform. The combination allows both organizations to leverage shared operational models, content expertise and audience development strategies.
Connect Media will absorb Networld’s team, growing its overall team to more than 60 employees, as well as the majority of its family of websites, events, podcasts and industry awards programs. Following the close of the transaction, Connect Media’s founder and CEO, Daniel Ceniceros, will serve as CEO of the combined company.
“This acquisition represents a strategic opportunity to grow across complementary business lines that share a similar operating DNA,” said Ceniceros. “Both Connect and Networld are built on high-quality journalism, industry-leading conferences, and strong industry relationships. Bringing these platforms together creates a powerful opportunity to accelerate growth, share best practices, and introduce expanded creative and agency services that complement and enhance Networld’s current capabilities—ultimately delivering greater value to our audiences and partners, as both individual investors and institutions seek information to grow, while building communities.”
“After meeting Daniel and learning more about his company, it became clear that Connect Media was the right partner to shape Networld’s next chapter,” said Tom Harper, cofounder and executive chair of Networld, who will remain with the company in an advisory role. “Our companies have strengths in different areas and I’m excited to see the future our combined teams will create.”
Networld’s portfolio includes the following:
Online News
- FastCasual.com
- FoodTruckOperator.com
- PizzaMarketplace.com
- QSRweb.com
- RetailCustomerExperience.com
- ATMmarketplace.com
- KioskMarketplace.com
- DigitalSignageToday.com
- VendingTimes.com
Conferences & Events
- Fast Casual Executive Summit
- Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers Awards
- Founderology Growth Summit
- Pizza Leadership Virtual Summit
- #QSRNext
- Restaurant Catering Workshop
- Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit
- Restaurant Marketing Workshop
- Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Show
The acquisition continues Connect Media’s growth strategy through selective investments in platforms that align with its media, technology and client services ecosystem. Connect Media has previously acquired multifamily listing platform ApartmentBuildings.com and AI-powered lending information platform LOANtuitive.
CapM Advisors acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Networld Media Group in this transaction.
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