LONDON—Next 15, parent company of Text 100, Bite, M Booth and other PR agencies, has acquired the entire issued share capital of Publitek, a specialist technical content marketing business that services customers in the global semiconductor and electronic component market. Publitek was founded by CEO Bob Jones, who will remain in the business following its acquisition. The company builds content platforms, creates and optimises content, and manages on and offline communities on behalf of clients including ARM, Ericsson, Intel, Sony, Verbatim and Cadence.

TORONTO and JOHANNESBURG—The Ecosystem, an independent network of communications and public affairs consultancies, has added Navigator in Canada and Gillian Gamsy International Communications in South Africa. Navigator focuses on crisis and reputation management, activation and persuasion campaigns, capital markets advisory, and government relations. GGi works with clients including Kellogg’s, Kapsch, Bayport South Africa, NRG Renew Africa and Sanofi. 

BOSTON— PR veteran Josef Blumenfeld has founded EdTech180, a public relations firm dedicated solely to serving the education technology industry. EdTech180 starts with seven clients, including LearnLaunch, the Boston-based accelerator dedicated to expanding the EdTech ecosystem, along with three of its portfolio companies; interactive math learning system LearnBop; Israel-based Contextors; and international educational organization Facing History and Ourselves. Blumenfeld held senior communication positions at education companies Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Cengage Learning.

LONDON and SAN FRANCISCO—Platform PR, communications specialists for the global video delivery and media monetization space, is partnering with Actual, a Silicon Valley tech PR agency, to provide technology and content clients with integrated communications services across Asia-Pacific, EMEA and the United States. The two agencies will partner on client engagements, with Platform acting as the global lead agency and Actual anchoring the US market.

NEW YORK—Danielle Thur, a luxury lifestyle and hospitality communications professional most recently with EFG PR (Entertainment Fusion Group) and her team have joined global entertainment public relations and marketing agency Rogers & Cowan. Thur will be based in the agency’s New York office and report directly to executive vice president Wendy Zaas. EFG PR’s East Coast team and client roster will be integrated into Rogers & Cowan’s lifestyle entertainment department.

NEW YORK—Colangelo & Partners, a mid-sized Manhattan-based specialist for premium wine, spirits, food and lifestyle brands, has opened an office in San Francisco. The 40-person firm is also rebranding, from Colangelo & Partners Public Relations to Colangelo & Partners, with a new logo and a relaunched website.

NEW YORK—JCPR, a communications and marketing agency, is marking its 13th anniversary with a new name and visual identity. The firm revealed its rebrand to JConnelly. JConnelly has more than 70 employees in three offices working with financial, technology, consumer, lifestyle, luxury, media, CEO and personal brands. The agency offers public relations, crisis communications, video production, social and digital media, marketing, advertising, graphic design, content development and distribution services.