Updated:
Hibu Group
Hibu Group was formed in 2013 when the directories company previously known as Yellowbook and later Hibu plc completed a pre-packaged Chapter 11...
Hibu Group
Hibu Group was formed in 2013 when the directories company previously known as Yellowbook and later Hibu plc completed a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy, erasing roughly $2.3 billion in debt. The reorganized entity, Hibu Group, shifted its mandate entirely away from print directory publishing toward digital marketing services. The firm retained a base in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and a large salesforce that had historically sold Yellow Pages advertising to small and medium-sized businesses. Under its current structure, Hibu operates as a digital marketing agency and technology platform serving local businesses across the United States. Its product suite bundles search-engine marketing, social media management, website design, display advertising, and reputation management into a managed-service offering. The firm competes directly with companies such as Thryv, Scorpion, and RevLocal in the fragmented local business marketing space. Hibu's platform integrates with Google, Facebook, and other ad networks to deploy campaigns for clients that include dental practices, home services contractors, auto repair shops, and legal firms. Post-restructuring, Hibu was controlled by its former creditors, including a consortium of institutional investors and distressed-debt funds that had purchased its bonds during the bankruptcy process. The firm remains privately held under this ownership structure. Its business model emphasizes recurring monthly revenue from subscription-style marketing contracts, with a direct-sales channel complemented by an inside-sales operation. The company has continued to operate under the Hibu brand, which was originally adopted by the UK parent as a shortened form of the phrase 'high business.' The firm's structural distinction lies in its bankruptcy-and-balance-sheet origin story. Hibu is not a venture-backed startup nor a traditional agency roll-up; it is a former public company and debt-laden legacy publisher that collapsed, restructured into a digitally native marketing services platform, and remains owned by its former bondholders. This genesis dictates a management approach oriented toward cash-flow generation and debt-service discipline rather than growth-at-all-costs, making it an unusual asset in the local marketing ecosystem.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2013
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Cedar Rapids
Corporate office
Cedar Rapids, IA, United States
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How did Hibu Group originate?
Hibu Group was created through the 2013 Chapter 11 restructuring of Hibu plc, the UK-based parent company of Yellowbook. The bankruptcy eliminated approximately $2.3 billion in debt and converted the company from a print directories business into a digital marketing services provider. The reorganized entity was taken over by a consortium of bondholders and former creditors who had bought into the distressed debt.
What does Hibu Group actually sell?
Hibu sells managed digital marketing services to small and medium-sized local businesses across the United States. Its core offerings include website development, search engine marketing, social media advertising, display ads, and online reputation management. The service is subscription-based, combining software platform tools with agency-managed campaign execution delivered through a direct salesforce.
Who owns Hibu Group?
Hibu Group is privately held by a consortium of institutional investors and distressed-debt funds that became the equity owners through the 2013 restructuring. These institutions were previously bondholders who exchanged their debt claims for ownership of the reorganized company. The firm has not returned to public markets since its delisting from the London Stock Exchange.
Is Hibu still associated with Yellowbook or print directories?
No. Hibu fully exited the print directory business as part of its restructuring. The company does not produce or distribute Yellowbook directories. All current revenue derives from digital marketing products, including paid search, display, social media advertising, and website services. The Hibu brand replaced the Yellowbook name across the operating business.
What is Hibu's geographic coverage?
Hibu serves local businesses throughout the United States with a sales and service model that blends a national inside-sales team with field representatives, historically concentrated in markets where Yellowbook once had strong distribution. The company's headquarters remains in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with additional operations historically reported in the UK prior to the restructuring.
How does Hibu compare to competitors like Thryv or Scorpion?
Hibu, Thryv, and Scorpion all target the same small-business local marketing segment but differ in origin. Thryv evolved from Dex Media, another legacy directory publisher, and now offers a SaaS platform alongside managed services. Scorpion is a private-equity-backed digital agency that started natively in legal marketing. Hibu's distinction is its bondholder-ownership structure and its path through a large-scale Chapter 11 restructuring, which forced a complete break from print publishing rather than a gradual transition.
Does Hibu make direct investments, or is it purely an operating business?
Hibu Group is an operating company, not an investment vehicle. It generates revenue exclusively through selling digital marketing services to end-customer small businesses. It does not operate as a family office, does not make venture investments, and does not run an external capital deployment program. Its bondholders are the equity owners, but the entity itself is a services business, not a fund.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on asset managers?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: