Seattle’s Barokas Communications acquired by NY’s Finn Partners after 23 years as indie tech PR firm

Barokas Communications founder Howie Barokas (left) and CEO Karli Barokas join Finn Partners as Managing Partner and Global Tech Practice leadership team. It is expected that all 20 Barokas Communications employees will also make the transition.

Barokas Communications, an independent public relations firm that has become a mainstay of the Seattle tech community over the past two decades and represents a large number of the region’s tech startups, has been acquired by New York-based Finn Partners, a global marketing and communications company.

Barokas, which has offices in Seattle and Denver, will expand its capabilities by leveraging Finn’s broader marketing and communication skills in areas such as branding, creative, digital marketing and paid advertising, said Karli Barokas, CEO of Barokas Communications. In the past, the company has found that clients sometimes turn to larger agencies once they reach a certain size, but as part of Finn, this issue should be addressed.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The deal is part of a broader wave of mergers and acquisitions in the technology industry.

“In particular, the addition of Barokas will enable us to expand our expertise with early stage companies that have always been a high-growth, high-opportunity sector,” said Peter Finn, founding managing partner and CEO of Finn Partners, in a post to announce the transaction. this morning.

Barokas was founded 23 years ago by Howie Barokas, who left Imagio Advertising and Public Relations to start his own company, with the mantra “PR Minus the BS”.

Howie Barokas and Karli Barokas join Finn Partners as managing partners and members of the leadership team of the Global Tech Practice.

All 20 Barokas Communications employees are expected to join Finn Partners as well.

“For our team, it really gives people a lot of access to resources that we simply didn’t have as a smaller agency,” said Karli Barokas. “One of the things we’re really looking forward to is the ability to offer a broader range of services to businesses in Seattle.”

Barokas Communications’ current customers include magniX, Eviation, Center, 98point6, Airbiquty, WTIA and Educative.

Over time, the Barokas name is expected to run out of business. For now, the company will pass Baroque, An agency for Finn partners.

Seattle’s tech strength has resulted in a small but vibrant group of independent technology PR firms and practitioners, in addition to bigger players like WE Communications and Edelman.