Digital Next Australia Acquired by Maaya Capital

Digital Next Australia has been acquired by Maaya Capital Pty Ltd, marking the end of an incredible 10-year chapter for the business and the beginning of a new journey under separate ownership.

For Digital Next UK, this is a proud moment.

It closes a major part of our international story and allows us to focus fully on the next phase of growth here in the UK, particularly around SEO, paid media, web development, AI search and the wider AI revolution now reshaping digital marketing.

But the Australian story did not begin in Australia.

It began years earlier in Stockport.

 

The Early Digital Next Days

Nathan Elly’s journey with Digital Next started in the UK around 2010/2011.

At the time, Digital Next was still a young Stockport-based start-up with a clear focus on SEO. We were operating from our early office, offering SEO services to businesses that wanted to grow online, and building the company with a lot of energy, belief and hard work.

Picture: Start up SEO Services team. Nathan Elly second from right.

Nathan first joined the UK office as a Marketing Executive after completing a university placement with us as part of his degree at the University of Huddersfield.

His contribution, creativity and personality quickly stood out.

Even in those early days, Nathan brought his own stamp to the business. He put plants around the Manchester office, which became part of the character of the workspace. That small detail would later follow him to Australia, where the same theme continued in the Australian office.

Nathan’s creativity, work ethic and contribution earned him the opportunity to become part of the founding team behind Digital Next Australia and to head up the office as Branch Manager.

 

2014: Launching Digital Next Australia

Picture: Early days in first Digital Next Australian office

In 2014, Digital Next Australia was officially founded as part of Digital Next’s international expansion from the UK.

This was a big move for the business.

It was not a corporate expansion with endless resources, huge teams or outside funding. It was a proper start-up journey.

Digital Next Australia was built from the ground up by people who knew the business, understood the service and believed there was an opportunity to take what we had built in the UK into a new market.

Chris Tipper, Digital Next’s first employee, also flew out to Australia to help start the business. Having been part of Digital Next from the earliest days, Chris brought deep knowledge of how the company operated, the standards we expected and the SEO service that had helped establish the business in the UK.

Together, Nathan and Chris helped lay the early foundations for Digital Next Australia, with the support of the Digital Next UK management team.

 

2015: Exhibitions, Pop-Up Stands and Pure Effort

By 2015, the Australian team were out in the market, building awareness and creating opportunities.

The early growth came from doing the basics well.

There were exhibitions with a simple pop-up stand, a strong SEO service, a lot of spirit and a huge amount of effort.

Picture: Nathan Elly – Branch Manager Digital Next Australia first exhibition

It was hands-on, direct and entrepreneurial.

The team had to create momentum from scratch, win trust in a new market and show Australian businesses the value Digital Next could bring.

Those early exhibitions and conversations helped establish the brand and created the foundations for the growth that followed.

2016: Growing the Team

In 2016, Digital Next Australia began to build more structure around the business.

New staff joined, the team expanded and the operation became more established in the Australian market.

As the business grew, Steven Lord came on board and added his own marketing skills, operational experience and commercial support to help move the business forward.

Steven’s contribution helped strengthen the Australian operation as it moved from early start-up mode into a more developed agency model.

Together, Nathan, Chris and Steven played important roles in helping establish, run and grow Digital Next Australia.

2017: Expanding Beyond SEO

Digital Next started with SEO at its core, but as the Australian market opportunity developed, so did the service offering.

In 2017, the business expanded its capabilities further by adding paid search as a new department and service offering.

This was an important step.

It helped Digital Next Australia move beyond being purely an SEO agency and into a broader performance marketing agency, giving clients more ways to grow online and allowing the team to support businesses across more areas of digital marketing.

From there, the offering continued to develop across SEO, paid media, web development, content and wider digital growth services.

2019, 2020 and Beyond: Growth Through a Changing Market

By 2019 and 2020, Digital Next Australia had become a more established name in the Australian digital marketing market.

Then came lockdown.

Like many businesses, the agency had to navigate a period of uncertainty, change and pressure. But out of that period, Digital Next Australia continued to grow and develop.

Picture: One of many team nights out for Digital Next Australia.

As more businesses shifted focus online, demand for digital marketing increased. The Australian team were well placed to support that change and continued building momentum through SEO, paid media, web development and performance marketing.

In the years that followed, the business went on to secure and support major brands, including leading Australian household names such as Qantas, global companies such as Adobe, and many more Australian businesses across different sectors.

For a business that started with SEO, a small team, exhibitions, pop-up stands and a lot of belief, the growth over that period was a brilliant achievement.

 

A 10-Year Journey From Start-Up to Exit

To start, build and exit a business over a 10-year period is an incredible achievement.

Digital Next Australia was not built overnight.

Picture: team Digital Next Australia Bali trip

It took years of work, creativity, resilience and commitment from the people involved.

From Nathan’s early days in the UK office, to launching the Australian business in 2014, to Chris flying out to help get things moving, to Steven joining and adding his marketing and operational skills, the journey was shaped by people who contributed at different stages and helped build real value in the business.

The acquisition by Maaya Capital marks the conclusion of that chapter.

 

A New Chapter Under Maaya Capital

Digital Next Australia will now move forward under the ownership of Maaya Capital Pty Ltd.

As part of the wider transition, Digital Next UK has retained ownership and control of the Digital Next brand and trademark rights. The Australian division will continue under separate ownership, with any use and transition of the Digital Next brand managed in accordance with the licensing agreement.

Justin Blackhurst, Founder and CEO of Digital Next, said:

“This marks an important moment in the Digital Next story.

Nathan started his journey with us in the UK around 2010/2011, back when Digital Next was still a young Stockport business mainly focused on SEO. His creativity and contribution earned him the chance to help launch and head up the Australian office.

Chris Tipper, our first employee, also flew out to Australia to help start the business and bring the Digital Next standards from the UK operation. Steven Lord later joined the journey and added his marketing and operational skills to help the Australian business grow further.

From launching in 2014, to doing exhibitions in 2015 with a simple pop-up stand, to growing the team in 2016, expanding into paid search in 2017, and then seeing the business grow strongly through 2019, 2020 and beyond, it has been an incredible journey.

To start and exit a business over a 10-year period is a real achievement, and this transaction reflects the value created during that time.

For Digital Next UK, this allows us to focus fully on our next chapter, particularly the major opportunity we see around AI search in the UK market, alongside our continued work across SEO, PPC, web development, performance marketing and AI-led service delivery.”

Durga Karra, Managing Director of Digital Next Australia, added:

“It has been a pleasure to complete this transaction with Justin and the team at Digital Next, and to begin the next chapter for the business.

When you look back at the humble beginnings of Digital Next Australia, it’s incredible to see what has been achieved over the last decade.

The business has grown into a respected name within the Australian digital marketing industry, supporting major brands and delivering outstanding work across SEO, paid media, web development and digital growth.

I’m incredibly proud of the team who have helped build that journey and excited about the opportunities ahead under the new ownership structure.”

 

Looking Ahead for Digital Next UK

For Digital Next UK, this is both a proud moment and a natural point of focus.

The digital marketing industry is changing quickly. AI search, AI-led discovery and new customer search behaviours are already reshaping how brands get found online.

Our focus now is on helping UK businesses adapt to that change.

Digital Next UK will continue to support clients across SEO, PPC, paid social, web development, AI search, performance marketing and wider digital growth.

The Australian chapter has been an important part of the Digital Next journey.

Now, as Digital Next Australia moves forward under Maaya Capital, Digital Next UK begins its next chapter with the same ambition that started the business in Stockport: helping brands grow online.

Digital Next UK was advised on the transaction by Jacob Blakely, Special Counsel at global law firm K&L Gates in Sydney, Australia.