Adtech Company TripleLift Acquires 1PlusX For $150 Million

TripleLift, an ad-tech company focused on creative, media, and data acquires Swiss publisher data company 1plusX. The Switzerland-based first-party data platform helps companies use first-party data, which they have collected themselves—an increasingly important strategy amid tightening privacy regulations.

What does this acquisition mean to advertisers and publishers?

As reported by Adexchanger, the acquisition is meant to bolster TripleLift’s two-pronged focus on CTV and identity. It has sponsored content integration and identity solutions for programmatic advertising without the use of third-party cookies. TripleLift is familiar with cookieless solutions. Eric Berry, Co-Founder & CEO, TripleLift said in a statement, 

“The combination of TripleLift and 1plusX means publishers and marketers will have a scaled, independent platform that is designed for the privacy-centric future.”

A better way to understand 1plusX, which solves the identity challenge, is to think of it as a revamped version of DMP designed to combat post-cookie advertising. The 1plusX technology is an AI-driven intelligence solution that connects directly into a publisher’s first-party site and app data, which can then be used to build lookalike audiences and match IDs. It provides user-based behavior insights, and publishers can activate them on relevant channels from the web to a connected TV.  Since 1plusX is based in Europe, it adheres to a high standard of privacy protection.

Therefore, TripleLift publishers can access 1plusX’s best-in-class technology to leverage first-party data and TripleLift advertisers can apply that same data to targeting capabilities made for the privacy era. No third-party cookies are required.

Interesting Read: 6 Data Privacy Trends To Look Out For In 2022!

Does the deal impacts SSPs or ad tech companies competing with TripleLift or vice versa?

Ari Lewine, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, TripleLift said that the acquisition would help both companies accelerate their product development and launch new products faster.

“We will grow 1plusX’s thriving business and create net-new products for both publishers and advertisers to leverage moving forward. Our ads will be enriched with first-party data. These new products are the scaled and privacy-friendly solutions our industry has been seeking.”

As quoted by Adexchanger, Lewine said that both companies are from the open programmatic ecosystem. In many instances, TripleLift, 1plusX, and other DMPs will work simultaneously with the same publisher.

It can be a costly affair for TripleLift to license 1plusX since it has hundreds of mid-tail or long-tail publishers in its network. The 1plusX client base is largely international media outlets, and it has worked with Fox, Le Figaro, and Axel Springer, which previously invested in the company.

Nevertheless, TripleLift will level the playing field by making 1plusX’s first-party data cleanroom product more affordable by increasing TripleLift’s features. The TripleLift platform could provide publishers with tools for creating seed audiences using 1plusX data, or provide modeled data when a third-party cookie is not available.

This space is growing and recently one of the 1plusX competitors, Carbon was acquired by Magnite. Paul Bannister, Co-Founder, and Chief Strategy Officer, CafeMedia expressed his thoughts and said,

“Publishers are already sitting on one of the largest potential goldmines of data to fill the cookie void: publisher first-party data, which includes contextual, registration and on-site behavioral data.”

“This acquisition signals to the industry that a much-needed investment in first-party solutions is finally here and it’s being jump-started by TripleLift with this acquisition.”

Interesting Read: Clean Rooms Explained: How Marketers Can Prepare For Cookieless World