Hey, the year of M&A in adtech continues.
DoubleVerify has announced an agreement to acquire Rockerbox, a conversion and outcomes data measurement company. This move marks a broader shift for DV, according to the company, expanding beyond its traditional role as a “verification” and media quality assurance provider to a performance enabler.
DV’s performance evolution is happening on two fronts:
New Data Set: This deal gives DV access to a new dataset focused on performance across channels, including search, social, and CTV. This is data that DV hasn’t previously had.
AI-Driven Performance Enablement: DV plans to integrate Rockerbox’s data into its custom algo and AI solution, Scibids, to enhance performance in integrated DSPs. This appears to be the ultimate goal of the deal—using Rockerbox’s insights to optimize media buying.
Another key angle is Rockerbox’s customer base. The company primarily serves performance-driven advertisers—think midmarket and DTC brands focused on conversions (Rockerbox lists StockX, Weight Watchers, and TULA on its website). With this acquisition, DV gains a direct pipeline to this group, creating opportunities to sell solutions like fraud prevention and viewability. At the same time, Rockerbox’s performance tools can now be marketed to DV’s enterprise clients, allowing DV to spread across the entire marketing funnel.
According to the release, DV is acquiring Rockerbox for $85 million.
Why This Matters:
The verification space is evolving, with new challengers attempting to take on incumbents like DV and its main competitor, IAS. This acquisition diversifies DV in a way that no other verification company has done, bringing in an entirely new dataset along with Rockerbox’s technology.
Beyond broadening its offerings, DV will likely use Rockerbox to also strengthen what it has. For example, the press release hints at providing deeper insights into how media quality impacts campaign performance. Think tying viewability, fraud or suitability to conversions or understanding where they fit in a customer journey. This not only strengthens DV’s position in the market but also makes its solutions stickier for advertisers.
Experts React:
Thoughts from Seth Ulinksi here regarding the deal:
Here’s a LinkedIn statement, as well, by Ron Jacobson, CEO of Rockerbox:
Our Take:
Do the people at DoubleVerify sleep? By the way, the company is reporting earnings tomorrow.
More broadly, this continues the M&A trend we’re seeing in adtech in 2025. This year, we’ve seen Rockerbox get bought, Rokt and mParticle merge, The Trade Desk snap up Sincera, T-Mobile acquire Vistar, plus a number of strong funding rounds. Feels like a good time to be in this space, right?
