We’re half a month into the New Year and adtech M&A is already heating up.
The Trade Desk announced today it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Sincera, a digital advertising metadata startup. It’s a rare buy from TTD who we mentioned last night as a potential acquirer this year (though that was about retail media).
Terms weren’t disclosed and the deal is expected to close in Q1.
Why This Matters:
Mergers and acquisitions are already shaping up to be a major theme in adtech for 2025. While The Trade Desk isn’t known for acquisitions, this move makes sense as it aligns with their growing focus on enhancing signals about publishers for SPO, media quality, and beyond.
This comes just days after another notable M&A announcement: T-Mobile’s acquisition of Vistar Media. These back-to-back deals signal that consolidation and deal making is heating up, as platforms look to shore up capabilities while others look for an exit.
For The Trade Desk, Sincera offers a way to deliver more actionable insights to advertisers, helping to clarify data signal value and ultimately improve programmatic buying/campaign performance.
Experts React:
Jeff Green, Founder and CEO of The Trade Desk:
“With this acquisition, we will scale the impact of Sincera in a way that will upgrade programmatic performance for everyone, and especially the quality of data signals that advertisers get from publishers.”
Mike O’Sullivan, Co-founder and CEO of Sincera:
“Sincera has become the go-to resource for advertisers and publishers looking for objective data on advertising value. We’re excited to bring our perspective and insights to The Trade Desk. We have a shared belief that trust and growth in the programmatic ecosystem will be fueled by a transparent and fair marketplace based on objective data.”
Our Take:
For those curious about Sincera and its journey, their Marketecture interview from last year offers cool insights into their business and platform evolution. Highly recommended:
Also, expect more consolidation and M&A like this as we head deeper into 2025.
