This is a great day for Smaato – one we could only imagine when we founded the company 10 years ago.
Strong New Strategic Partnership Creates Opening to Accelerate Growth
Today’s news positions Smaato for enormous growth in the months ahead, with a strategic partner that has the resources and vision to accelerate Smaato’s technology roadmap and commercial growth. Building off Smaato’s position as the global in-app advertising platform, this partnership with Spearhead Integrated Marketing Communication Group* will uniquely position Smaato to enter the mobile advertising market in China, with a large, established Chinese partner.
Smaato Poised for Rapid Growth
Over the next 18 months, Smaato will rapidly expand our presence in China with unprecedented access to China’s 1 billion mobile users (of which 563 million are smartphone users according to eMarketer1), extending the Smaato platform’s existing reach of over one billion unique mobile users per month currently. We will accomplish this as an independently managed, yet fully backed, business unit of one of the world’s largest integrated marketing companies.
Shared Vision for Global Expansion
Our strategy for leadership in this market will now be advanced by Spearhead’s commitment to accelerating the success of an independent mobile advertising marketplace and a mobile programmatic technology leader. Our shared vision recognizes the opportunity of the world’s mobile-first economy and combines Smaato’s vast reach and proven business model outside of China with Spearhead’s strength, end-to-end position and expertise within China.
Focus on Platform Innovation
As the world’s collective definition of mobile advertising migrates across multiple devices and users seek increasingly personalized experiences, the technologies and measurement tools for mobile monetization via advertising will evolve. For several years now, Smaato has been at the forefront of delivering technological innovation to the mobile advertising industry. With the backing of Spearhead, we will double down on key product investments and team with a new partner who will help us deliver cutting edge technology and expand the Smaato platform.
Stability: Smaato’s Current Leadership Team to Steer High Growth Phase Ahead
Smaato will continue to be a disruptive force in the industry. The Smaato leadership team will stay in place as we enter our fastest phase of growth to date. We are excited to remain as CEO and Chief Alliances Officer of Smaato respectively and, together with our current executive team, will navigate Smaato’s exciting upcoming expansion. Allowing Smaato to operate as a fully independent and distinct entity maximizes our mutual opportunity, while at the same time leverages the size, scale and position of Spearhead within China.
Excited to Partner with Spearhead for Mutual Expansion and Growth
Smaato is now positioned to become a next-generation market leader within mobile programmatic. We’ll be as fearless and customer-centric as ever, yet focused on market quality and service oriented in building a trusted business on which our customers and partners can depend. We are truly excited to welcome our new partner to the Smaato family and begin this collaborative journey that creates enormous new international opportunities for both Smaato and Spearhead. Spearhead brings not only its expertise and a trusted partnership but opens up potential for enormous growth and exciting possibilities that neither business could achieve alone.
Strong Support of Customer Partners: Smaato’s Greatest Asset
We want to acknowledge the great support we have received from our customers and partners. For many years now, they have helped make us the envy of the mobile programmatic space, collaborating with us in ways that have helped us achieve incredible growth and innovation milestones. Our success quite literally would not have been possible without their support. They remain the core of our focus and the ones that inspire our innovative spirit.
Key Success Driver: Passionate Customer Focus of Smaato Employees
As we enter this new phase of Smaato’s journey, we’d also like to acknowledge the relentless creativity and passion of our employees — each and every one of you. You have put your hearts and minds to work every day, overcoming obstacles and making personal sacrifices. Over the past 10 years, you have come together as one team — unified in your commitment to be the best company we can be — to make our customers successful, to push the industry forward and ultimately change the world.
Smaato would not be in this position today were it not for your dedicated and fearless work. We salute all ‘Smaaties’, past and present, who have made incredible contributions that got us to this day — and especially to those who will be the driving force for where we’re headed.
Best is Yet to Come
So, please join us in celebrating this major milestone in Smaato’s journey. These are exciting times and, while we have already demonstrated a consistent track record of impressive growth, our best days are ahead of us.
Now, more than ever before, the mobile-first world is watching.
– Ragnar Kruse and Petra Vorsteher
* The deal is subject to final agreement signing, regulatory and each transaction party’s decision-making body approvals.
1 Asia-Pacific Boasts More Than 1 Billion Smartphone Users
