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Direct Investment  + M&As  |  February 2, 2026
Connect Media Acquires Networld, Expanding B2B Reach
By: Joe Palmisano

Connect Media Acquires Networld, Expanding B2B Reach

Connect Media, a privately held media company based in Los Angeles and the nation’s largest provider of commercial real estate news, acquired Networld Media Group, a Louisville, KY-based business-to-business media company delivering industry news and conferences for the restaurant, retail, banking and technology sectors, effective Jan. 30, 2026. Terms were not disclosed.

Connect Media operates across multiple business lines, including B2B news, conferences and full-service creative and agency services, primarily serving the commercial real estate, financial and capital markets sectors in the U.S. and Canada. Its portfolio includes Connect CRE, Connect Canada CRE and Connect Money. The acquisition of Networld expands Connect Media’s footprint into adjacent and complementary industries, while strengthening its overall media and events platform. The combination allows both organizations to leverage shared operational models, content expertise, and audience development strategies. 

Connect Media will absorb Networld’s team, growing its overall team to more than 60 employees, as well as most of its family of websites, events, podcasts and industry awards programs. Following the close of the transaction, Connect Media’s founder and CEO, Daniel Ceniceros, will serve as CEO of the combined company. 

“This acquisition represents a strategic opportunity to grow across complementary business lines that share a similar operating DNA,” said Ceniceros. “Both Connect and Networld are built on high-quality journalism, industry-leading conferences, and strong industry relationships. Bringing these platforms together creates a powerful opportunity to accelerate growth, share best practices, and introduce expanded creative and agency services that complement and enhance Networld’s current capabilities—ultimately delivering greater value to our audiences and partners, as both individual investors and institutions seek information to grow, while building communities.” 

“After meeting Daniel and learning more about his company, it became clear that Connect Media was the right partner to shape Networld’s next chapter,” said Tom Harper, cofounder and executive chair of Networld, who will remain with the company in an advisory role. “Our companies have strengths in different areas and I’m excited to see the future our combined teams will create.” 

Networld’s portfolio includes the following: 

Online News 

  • FastCasual.com 
  • FoodTruckOperator.com 
  • PizzaMarketplace.com 
  • QSRweb.com 
  • RetailCustomerExperience.com 
  • ATMmarketplace.com 
  • KioskMarketplace.com 
  • DigitalSignageToday.com 
  • VendingTimes.com 

Conferences & Events 

  • Fast Casual Executive Summit 
  • Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers Awards 
  • Founderology Growth Summit 
  • Pizza Leadership Virtual Summit 
  • #QSRNext 
  • Restaurant Catering Workshop 
  • Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit 
  • Restaurant Marketing Workshop 
  • Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Show 

The acquisition continues Connect Media’s growth strategy through selective investments in platforms that align with its media, technology and client services ecosystem. Connect Media has previously acquired multifamily listing platform ApartmentBuildings.com and AI-powered lending information platform LOANtuitive.

CapM Advisors acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Networld Media Group. 

Pictured: Connect Media founder and CEO, Daniel Ceniceros 

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About Joe Palmisano

Joe Palmisano is Editorial Director for Connect Money, where he brings nearly three decades experience of market insights as a financial journalist, analyst and senior portfolio manager for leading financial publications, advisory firms, and hedge funds. In his role as Editorial Director, Joe is responsible for the selection of content and creation of daily business news covering the financial markets, including Alternative Assets, Direct Investment and Financial Advisory services. Before joining Connect Money, Joe was a financial journalist for the Wall Street Journal, regularly publishing feature stories and trend pieces on the foreign exchange, global fixed income and equity markets. Joe parlayed his experience as a financial journalist into roles as a Senior Research Analyst and Portfolio Manager, writing daily and weekly market analysis and managing a FX and US equity portfolio. Joe was also a contributing writer for industry magazines and publications, including SFO Magazine and the CMT Association. Joe earned a B.S.B.A. in Finance from The American University. He holds the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designation and is a member of the CFA Institute.