London, UK, 23 June 2014.  Findmypast, the leading British family history company, announced today that it has acquired Mocavo, the fastest growing genealogy company in the US.

Findmypast, the leading brand in the DC Thomson Family History portfolio, has been at the forefront of the British family history market for over a decade.  It has an established collection of 1.8 billion historical records and an extensive network of partners including the British Library, the Imperial War Museum, the Allen County Public Library and Family Search.

Founded by Cliff Shaw in 2011, Mocavo is a technological innovator in the genealogy industry. Its highly sophisticated search engine brings together, in one place, a diverse range of sources, such as family history record indexes, school and college yearbooks, church records and biographies, which help millions of family history enthusiasts to fill in blanks in their family trees and add colour to their family stories. 

This acquisition, coupled with the recent tender win of the 1939 Register for England and Wales and the purchase of Origins.net, forms an important part of the growth strategy set out by Annelies van den Belt, CEO of Findmypast, and her new team.

Together Findmypast and Mocavo will create one of the fastest growing global genealogy businesses. The two companies will provide customers with easier access and more relevant information to help add colour and depth to family history. Additionally, they both remain committed to delivering on Mocavo’s promise to provide free access to family history records on an individual database level forever. Toward that commitment, Findmypast is announcing today that the full indexes to the US Census from 1790 to 1940 are available for free at Mocavo.com. 

Mocavo will become a fully-owned subsidiary of Findmypast.  It joins the Findmypast family of brands including the British Newspaper Archive, Genes Reunited and Lives of the First World War.

Annelies van den Belt, CEO of Findmypast, said:  “Findmypast’s strategy is about growth and the US market is key.  Our purchase of Mocavo, combined with our existing US customer base, gives us an excellent platform for expansion in the world’s number one genealogy market. Together we can provide a dynamic family history experience that offers customers the opportunity to make a real connection with their family heritage.”

Cliff Shaw, founder and CEO of Mocavo, said: “We are thrilled to join forces with Findmypast and become a part of their family of leading brands. The combination of our companies will provide family history enthusiasts with unprecedented access to the stories of their ancestors.  Expect Mocavo to grow stronger with Findmypast’s support and to continue to drive innovation in the family history category.”

Joshua Taylor, newly appointed Director of Family History, Findmypast, said: “Our heritage and rich record collections coupled with Mocavo’s sophisticated technology will make for a powerful combination enabling us to offer our customers even more ways to unlock the fascinating stories within their family history.”

Notes to Editors

About Findmypast

Findmypast has been a leading family history website for more than 10 years. In April 2003 the company was the first to provide access to the complete birth, marriage, and death indexes for England & Wales, winning the Queen’s Award for Innovation. Since that time, Findmypast has digitised family history records from across the globe, including major collections from Britain, Ireland, Australia, and the United States.  With more than 1.8 billion records online, Findmypast offers access to military, census, immigration, education, occupation, and parish records from around the world. In partnership with the British Library, Findmypast is part of a 10 year project to safeguard the future of the world’s greatest newspaper archive – allowing digital access to more than 40 million newspaper pages. The National Archives recently awarded the company the contract to put the 1939 Register for England and Wales online.  Findmypast is the leading brand in the DC Thomson Family History portfolio.

About Mocavo

With the help of our partners and community members Mocavo is changing the way you learn about your family history. For years, valuable information has been inaccessible, either scattered across hard to find websites, or gathering dust and deteriorating in attics and basements.  Mocavo provides free access to family history records forever.  We launch 1,000 new collections every day and we never stop looking for more information to help you discover your story and pass it on.  Our search engine scours millions of hard-to-find genealogy Web pages and we publish thousands of new records every week that you can view for free forever.  Mocavo’s research tools speed up your discoveries and help you preserve your family’s story.  At Mocavo you’ll become a better genealogist with the help of a growing community of researchers who share information and tips with you.

For further information please contact press@dctfh.com