Mobile advertising platform LoopMe has its eyes on international expansion thanks to Mayfair Equity Partners investing $120 million (£87 million) to acquire a majority stake in the firm.
While the size of the stake has not been disclosed, London-based LoopMe says the deal will value the company at close to $200 million (£145 million). It plans expansion into new geographies – mainly the US and Japan – and to add new product offerings around data and measurement.
LoopMe has estimated gross revenues of nearly $100 million (£73 million) for the full year 2021, having achieved revenue growth of c. 50% p.a. over the past three years, with the majority of revenues now coming from the US.
It offers a data and privacy-compliant software platform without the need for personal identifying data.
“Over the last decade the mobile brand-based advertising market has undergone a period of rapid growth, expanding to over $8 billion [£5.8 billion] in size. This is a very dynamic part of the adtech ecosystem, which is supported by increasing handset penetration and the desire for personalised digital content. We have long been impressed with LoopMe’s strong growth and market leadership, and we see significant opportunity to continue that trajectory by supporting their mobile in-app and CTV [connected TV] capabilities,” explains Daniel Sasaki, Managing Partner at Mayfair Equity Partners.
Founded in 2012, LoopMe applies artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies to media campaign delivery in real-time. For example, through its technology platform, LoopMe can provide info on purchase intent, consideration, footfall and sales.
Along with mobile and CTV, LoopMe’s services are currently available across digital audio, digital out-of-home and other emerging digital advertising channels.
Its clients include brands, holding companies and publishers such as dentsu, Publicis, WPP, Omnicom, Pepsi, Microsoft, Sony Pictures, Hyundai/Kia and WarnerMedia.
The company is headquartered in the UK, with offices across New York, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, Singapore, Dnipro (Ukraine), Japan and Hong Kong. LoopMe’s venture investors included OpenOcean, HV Capital, Impulse VC, Claret Capital Partners, Da Vinci Capital and BGF.
The transaction is expected to close, subject to customary approvals, by or before February 2022.
Mayfair is also a shareholder in a number of unicorns such as Epic Games (the developer of Fortnite and the Unreal Engine), OVO Group (a tech-enabled energy solutions provider) and Graphcore (a developer of AI accelerators).