Miniclip launches AdSurge ad network with Tencent AI, Easybrain data
Miniclip, a Tencent-owned mobile games company, launched AdSurge, an AI-powered mobile advertising platform, as an independent standalone company. AdSurge offers integrated user acquisition and ad monetization for third-party game publishers, initially targeting games monetized through in-app ads. It aims to improve user experience by making ads skippable in half the time and requiring fewer clicks to close. Developed over three years, AdSurge leverages Miniclip's scale, the Easybrain acquisition, and Tencent's AI expertise, though its algorithms are built from scratch. It captures a low single-digit share of wallet on ad monetization across Miniclip's portfolio, with double-digit margins. CEO Paul Bugryniec cited squeezed publisher margins as motivation. The next phase will extend to games using IAP and hybrid monetization.