Observed Signal · Jul 15, 2021 · Acquisition · Source: OnlineMarketing.de · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Verve Group acquires Smaato
Verve Group, a privacy-first omnichannel advertising platform, announced the acquisition of Smaato through a subsidiary of its parent company Media and Games Invest SE (MGI). The deal values Smaato at $170 million and will see MGI acquire 99.99% of Shanghai Yi Qiu Business Management Co., Ltd. from Shanghai Qiugu Investment Partnership; the purchase price will be paid entirely in cash. The transaction is expected to close within two months subject to regulatory approvals. Smaato, founded in 2005 and headquartered in Hamburg and San Francisco, operates in Mobile Ad Tech and has expanded to a self-service platform for publisher monetization. The combined Verve Group and Smaato aim to reach roughly two billion users globally across mobile web, in-app, desktop, DOOH and connected TV, complementing Verve's omnichannel platform. Verve previously acquired Beemray to boost contextual targeting and introduced ATOM for anonymized in-app targeting.
Notable M&A activity in AdTech; expands mobile ad exchange footprint
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Smaato valued at $170 million in the acquisition by Verve Group.
- MGI to acquire 99.99% of Shanghai Yi Qiu Business Management Co, Ltd from Shanghai Qiugu Investment Partnership; all-cash deal.
- Closing expected within two months, subject to regulatory approvals.
- Smaato founded in 2005; headquartered in Hamburg and San Francisco; operates a self-service platform for publisher monetization in mobile ad tech.
- Combined Verve Group and Smaato to reach ~2 billion users globally across mobile web, in-app, DOOH and CTV.
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