Deal NewsBrief Advertising & Marketing – Quarterly Review (Second Quarter 2025) PDF Free Download
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Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing –
Quarterly Review (Second Quarter 2025)
$7.7+ billion in value reported from 115 transactions
Industry Sectors
M&A /
LBO
Growth
Equity / VC
Total
Agency & Marketing
Services
94 51 145
AdTech,
MarTech &
Software
43 71 114
Total
137 122 259
2Q25 Transaction Summary
(259 total transactions)
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5 Key Investment Themes Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
Truelink Capital made a significant investment in Channel Factory, a real-time YouTube
content targeting and analytics platform using creator and performance data. The
transaction was reported to be valued at approximately $350 million.
DataBeat, a provider of yield optimization, data engineering, and analytics services for
media platforms and publishers, was acquired by MediaMint, with backing from
Everstone Capital and Recognize Partners.
GoAudience, a precision audience targeting and analytics platform leveraging behavioral
and credit card data, raised $1.7 million in seed funding.
Perion acquired Greenbids, a provider of custom AI algorithms for campaign-level ad
optimization across digital platforms, for $65 million.
TireTutor acquired ImprezzAI, a programmatic advertising software company focused on
actionable attribution and optimization for digital campaigns.
Diginex signed an MOU to acquire Resulticks, an AI-
driven audience engagement platform
integrating customer data, omnichannel comms, and predictive analytics for large
marketers, for $2 billion.
Wisdom AI, a provider of advanced AI analytics for structured and unstructured marketing
and revenue operations data, raised $23 million in seed funding from Madrona, Menlo
Ventures, Coatue, GTM Capital, and Anthropic.
AI & Data-Driven Marketing Move Mainstream
1
Advanced analytics, AI, and automation are fueling major investments in platforms and companies
providing smarter, data-driven audience engagement, campaign optimization, and marketing
effectiveness.
6.86
6.86
Done
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5 Key Investment Themes (cont.)
Commerce Enablement and Connected Retail Surge
2
Platforms that bridge physical and digital retail, enable smart local commerce, and automate
conversion are attracting strategic sponsors and PE funding.
Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
GoKwik, an e-commerce enablement platform, raised $13 million in a growth-stage
funding round led by existing investor RTP Global.
Lucky Labs
, an online marketing platform that connects retail inventory with DTC channels
for seamless in-store pickup, was acquired by SPINS via its financial sponsors General
Atlantic, Warburg Pincus, Webster Capital, and Company Ventures.
Lyvecom, a provider of interactive video commerce solutions for e-commerce brands
offering livestream shopping, live chat, and shoppable videos, was acquired by Verb
Technology for $8.5 million.
Owner.com, a digital platform for restaurants with online ordering, automated marketing,
and loyalty tools, raised $120 million in Series C funding at a $1 billion valuation, with
Meritech Capital and Headline co-leading the round.
SmartCommerce, an AI-powered click-to-purchase and shopping cart technology
provider driving conversion from digital ads, raised $3.5 million.
Symbiosys, a retail media and marketing analytics platform that integrates retailer-brand
campaigns across digital and DOOH channels, was acquired by DoorDash for $175
million.
Maplebear, doing business as Instacart, acquired Wynshop, a developer of digital
commerce solutions for grocers and local retailers.
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5 Key Investment Themes (cont.)
CRM and Marketing SaaS Consolidation
3
Private equity and strategics are backing CRM platforms, analytics-driven agencies, and SaaS
marketing infrastructure for scale and integration.
Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
ClearlyRated, backed by Software Growth Partners, acquired Client Savvy, a customer
experience management specialist serving professional service firms.
Momentive Software acquired The Cobalt Company, a provider of customer relationship
and membership management modules for enterprise clients.
Dazos, a CRM and billing analytics platform focused on behavioral health and insurance,
raised $25 million in Series A funding from Radian Capital.
Promptly acquired MDprospects and Patient Spectrum, healthcare-focused CRM and
lead management platforms offering solutions for lead tracking, appointment scheduling,
and reputation management.
DoorDash announced the $1.2 billion acquisition of SevenRooms, a CRM-driven guest
engagement and marketing platform that helps restaurant and hospitality operators
strengthen guest relationships and drive growth both in-store and online.
Velosio, via its financial sponsor Court Square, acquired Strava Technology Group, a
Microsoft Partner specializing in Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement and Power
Platform, offering advanced CRM implementation, integration, and cloud solutions.
Wealthbox, a cloud-based CRM platform for financial advisors and wealth management
professionals, secured a $200 million majority investment from Sixth Street Growth to
scale operations, speed up product development, and expand enterprise capabilities.
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5 Key Investment Themes (cont.)
Specialized Digital Agencies, Content, and Experience Platforms Consolidate
4
Acquirers are building multi-specialist agency and content portfolios across creative, influencer,
research, and experiential verticals, leveraging M&A for reach and vertical expertise.
Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
The Lede Company acquired Element Brand Group, a provider of strategy, partnerships,
and marketing support for clients in the lifestyle, luxury, tech, sports, and entertainment
sectors.
Stagwell acquired JetFuel Studio, a field and digital event marketing agency specializing in
the planning and execution of social, experiential, and in-person campaigns designed to
help brands engage audiences across multiple channels.
Quality Media acquired Juniper Pet, a company specializing in content and targeted
marketing strategies for DTC and retail pet brands.
Gravity Global, backed by Elysian Capital, acquired LEE Branding, a creative agency
providing strategy, branding, and marketing to healthcare clients.
Ignite Visibility, backed by Mountaingate Capital and Capital Southwest, acquired
Outliant, a digital development and marketing agency specializing in advanced web,
mobile, and digital marketing solutions.
Medalist Holdings Group acquired The Social Media Pros, a digital marketing and web
design firm specializing in the home services sector, offering services including website
design, SEO, and PPC advertising.
Vectra Digital merged with Avenue Media to create a marketing agency focused on
construction, home services, and building product brands, offering content creation,
graphic and website design, SEO, PPC, email marketing, and more.
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5 Key Investment Themes (cont.)
Programmatic, Data, and Measurement Tools Scale Up
5
As brands demand more verifiable performance and actionable attribution, buyouts focus on
adtech, analytics, and measurement providers enabling smarter media spend.
Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
Advanced Contextual
, a contextual ad analytics company known for its marketing insights
and managed inventory, was acquired by Azerion Group to enhance its capabilities in
curated inventory, audience building, and contextual targeting.
Alliant Cooperative Data Solutions, backed by Inverness Graham, acquired
AnalyticsIQ, a provider of consumer data and predictive analytics for digital marketing.
Cart.com, a unified commerce and logistics platform delivering campaign and analytics
tools, raised $50 million at a $1.6 billion valuation from BlackRock, Neuberger Berman,
and others.
GrowthX, an AI-powered marketing analytics and automation platform, raised $12 million
in a Series A round led by Madrona Venture Group, with participation from other angel
investors.
Figma acquired Payload, a leading open-source, developer-focused headless CMS for
content management and site building.
SmartCommerce, an AI-powered click-to-purchase and shopping cart technology
provider driving conversion from digital ads, raised $3.5 million.
EmpowerLocal acquired Sponsorbooker, a publishing and sponsorship platform
integrating digital, newsletters, and podcast content.
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25 Significant Agency & Marketing
Service Transactions
ADK Holdings, a Japanese advertising and animation company behind
over 300 anime titles including Doraemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Crayon Shin-
chan, was acquired by Krafton for approximately $516 million through its
purchase of BCJ-31, the parent of ADK. ADK had previously been
acquired by Bain Capital Japan in 2018 for about $1.3 billion.
Captiv8, an AI-powered influencer marketing platform with over 15
million creators across 120 countries, offering tools for influencer
discovery, campaign management, analytics, and social commerce, was
acquired by Publicis Groupe. Since 2015, Captiv8 has raised
approximately $4 million over four rounds.
Cart.com, a unified commerce and logistics platform delivering campaign
and analytics tools, raised $50 million at a $1.6 billion valuation from
BlackRock, Neuberger Berman, and others. Since its founding, Cart.com
has raised a total of $475 million.
Chemistry Communications, a full-service marketing and digital agency,
received a majority investment from Breakwater Management. Genesis
Park and Tecum Capital also partnered in the deal, providing both debt
and equity capital to enable the company to accelerate its organic growth
and pursue strategic acquisitions.
Code, a leading Shopify-focused digital agency based in the Netherlands
with operations in Berlin and known for delivering high-performing
commerce storefronts for diverse brands, was acquired by BV Investment
partners-backed Domaine Worldwide (which was formed in 2023
through the merger of Tomorrow and Half Helix).
CTP Solutions, a provider of print products like labels, forms, and direct
mail, as well as document automation and workflow optimization
solutions, was acquired by Smart Source through its subsidiary, Smart
Source Critical Communications.
FirmPilot, an AI-powered legal marketing platform helping law firms
through automated, data-driven SEO, PPC, and social media marketing,
received $4.7 million from Thomson Reuters Ventures and HubSpot
Ventures, bringing its post–Series A funding to $9.7 million and total
funding to $11.7 million.
Target Description
Buyer / Investor
Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
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25 Significant Agency & Marketing
Service Transactions (cont.)
Fitzco, a full-service marketing agency specializing in strategy, creative,
media, analytics, and measurement, was acquired by Burrell
Communications Group. Founded in 1983, Fitzco became part of
IPG/McCann in 1998 before being repurchased by its founder in 2020.
Hothouse, a fully integrated creative agency specializing in marketing,
content, and design for the entertainment, hospitality, automotive, and
sports sectors, was acquired by Yes& to enhance its creative offerings,
expand into new markets, and diversify its expertise across key sectors.
Incline Marketing, a digital marketing agency specializing in organic
media solutions for location-based service businesses, was acquired by
ROR Partners, a performance marketing firm backed by Gemspring
Capital.
IDS Fulfillment, an e-commerce and retail logistics provider, was
acquired by DHL to bolster its e-commerce service offerings to small and
midsize customers. The deal brings more than 1.3 million square feet of
public warehouse and distribution space under the DHL umbrella.
JetFuel, an experiential marketing agency focused on driving brand
awareness through experiences, content, and conversations, was
acquired by Stagwell for $81.1 million. The Company will operate as a
subsidiary of Stagwell’s integrated experiential agency TEAM.
Momentum Commerce, a retail media intelligence and marketplace
optimization company, was acquired by PMG. Momentum’s proprietary
Velocity platform tracks over 37 million products and 880,000 brands to
deliver AI-driven insights on pricing, advertising, and category
performance.
Neocol
, a consulting firm that helps organizations streamline and organize
their go-to-market sales functions, has received a majority growth
investment from Shamrock Capital Advisors.
Target Description
Buyer / Investor
Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
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25 Significant Agency & Marketing
Service Transactions (cont.)
Movable Ink, an AI-powered personalized content and marketing
automation platform serving over 700 enterprise clients, was acquired by
STG, a US-based private equity firm focused on software and technology-
enabled services. Since April 2022, the company has raised
approximately $97.3 million across four rounds.
Supreme Group, backed by Trinity Hunt Partners, a platform driving
innovation in healthcare and life sciences marketing and communications,
announced the acquisition of Nimble Works and its sister agency Vital
Works, agencies known for helping health tech and biopharma brands
simplify complexity and move with speed.
Outliant, a web development and digital marketing agency known for
building scalable websites, applications, and digital infrastructure for
enterprise and multi-location clients, was acquired by Ignite Visibility,
which is backed by Mountaingate Capital and Capital Southwest.
Postal, an intelligent gifting and offline marketing automation platform,
was acquired by Sendoso. Since 2020, Postal has raised $31 million
across two funding rounds.
Rallio, a social media management platform designed to cater needs of
franchises, organizations and small businesses, was acquired by Ignite
Visibility, which is backed by Mountaingate Capital and Capital
Southwest. Rallio had previously received venture funding from Pacific
Arc Investments.
SharpLink Gaming, a public company specializing in online performance
marketing for the U.S. sports betting and global iGaming sectors, raised
$425 million through a PIPE. The round was led by Consensys Software,
with participation by ParaFi Capital, Electric Capital, Pantera Capital,
Arrington Capital, Galaxy Digital, and others.
Solo Group, a European B2B provider of customizable products across
wearables, textiles, and hard goods such as drinkware, bags and luggage,
stationery, and tech accessories, was acquired by Platinum Equity.
Target Description
Buyer / Investor
Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
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25 Significant Agency & Marketing
Service Transactions (cont.)
Stord, a commerce enablement and e-commerce fulfillment platform
that supports high-volume consumer brands with integrated delivery and
proprietary technology, raised $200 million in a Series E round at a
valuation of $1.5 billion. The equity portion was led by Strike Capital with
participation from existing investors, while the debt financing from Silicon
Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank, and ORIX USA.
The Dingley Press, a full-service catalog printing services provider, was
re-acquired by former owner, Christopher A. Pierce from The Sheridan
Group.
Christopher A.
Pierce
TNT Dental, a platform of local digital marketing agencies and tech-
enabled solutions focused on the dental, legal, home services, and
healthcare sectors, received a majority investment from Trinity Hunt
Partners, and subsequently renamed Herringbone Digital. In June,
Herringbone Digital acquired Hennessey Digital, a digital marketing
agency serving law firms nationwide.
Whalar, a global creator economy platform offering influencer marketing,
talent management, content production, and creator software solutions
for brands and creators, raised a strategic growth investment at a post-
money valuation of $400 million. The round saw participation from
Shopify, Salesforce founder Marc Benioff, and Hollywood producer Neal
H. Moritz.
Target Description
Buyer / Investor
Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
11 www.wpcapadvisors.com
25 Significant AdTech, MarTech &
Software Transactions
Adprime Media, a healthcare-focused digital advertising and demand-
side adtech platform for pharmaceutical and healthcare brands, was
acquired by Newsweek.
Ascendx Cloud, a London-based provider of enterprise-grade CRM SaaS
solutions offering AI-powered insights, automation, and workflow
optimization for the banking, manufacturing, and life sciences sectors,
raised $110 million in funding. The round includes $60 million in equity
and $50 million in debt financing, led by Osprey Investors and Columbia
Lake Partners.
Buyerlink, a marketing technology platform specializing in consumer
demand generation and online marketplaces across high-value verticals,
announced its merger with Inspirato, a luxury travel club and property
technology company. The reverse merger values Buyerlink’s equity at
$326 million.
Channel Factory, an adtech company specializing in brand suitability,
contextual targeting, and media optimization for digital advertising,
received a significant investment from Truelink Capital. The transaction
was reported to be valued at approximately $350 million.
The Cobalt Company, a provider of customer relationship and
membership management modules for enterprise clients, was acquired
by Momentive Software.
Dashworks, an AI-powered workplace knowledge assistant that unifies
company data across internal apps and delivers instant, conversational
answers for marketing, sales, and service professionals, was acquired by
HubSpot.
DataBeat, a provider of yield optimization, data engineering, and analytics
services for media platforms and publishers, was acquired by MediaMint,
with backing from Everstone Capital and Recognize Partners.
Target Description
Buyer / Investor
Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
12 www.wpcapadvisors.com
25 Significant AdTech, MarTech &
Software Transactions (cont.)
Target Description
Buyer / Investor
Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
Decagon, a provider of generative AI and conversational agents for
customer service, raised $131 million in Series C funding at a $1.5 billion
valuation. The round was co-led by Accel and Andreessen Horowitz
(a16z Growth Fund). Since October 2024, Decagon has raised
approximately $196 million across two funding rounds.
MidOcean Partners acquired GSTV, a national video and retail media
network that reaches over 115 million monthly viewers across more than
29,000 fuel and convenience locations, at a reported valuation of over
$550 million.
Greenbids, a provider of custom AI algorithms for campaign-level ad
optimization across digital platforms, was acquired by Perion Network
for $65 million.
Haus, a marketing science and experimentation platform helping
companies understand the true business impact of their marketing spend
and measure marketing ROI, raised Series A3 venture funding of $18.3
million at a post-money valuation of $450 million.
Liftoff, an AI powered performance marketing and monetization platform
for the mobile app economy, received a minority investment from
General
Atlantic, following a secondary process in which majority owner
Blackstone sold a minority stake, while retaining control, at a $4.3 billion
valuation.
Notified, a global communications cloud platform specializing in PR,
investor relations, and stakeholder engagement, was acquired by Equiniti
Group through its financial sponsors CFT Capital Partners, Flexstone
Partners, and Siris Capital Group at an enterprise value exceeding $500
million.
Owner.com, a digital platform for restaurants with online ordering,
automated marketing, and loyalty tools, raised $120 million in Series C
funding at a $1 billion valuation, with Meritech Capital and Headline co-
leading the round.
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25 Significant AdTech, MarTech &
Software Transactions (cont.)
Profound, an AI visibility and marketing platform helping brands monitor,
optimize, and enhance their presence in AI-
powered search and discovery
results, raised $20 million in Series A funding. The round was led by
Kleiner Perkins, with participation from Khosla Ventures, Nventures
(NVIDIA), and others. Profound has previously raised $3.5 million in seed
funding.
Diginex signed an MOU to acquire Resulticks, an AI-driven audience
engagement platform integrating customer data, omnichannel comms,
and predictive analytics for large marketers, for $2 billion
. The transaction
includes $1.4 billion in Diginex shares, $100 million in cash, and $500
million in performance-based earnout.
Seekr, a marketing technology platform designed to evaluate content for
suitability, reliability, and bias, raised a $100 million funding round at a
$1.2 billion valuation led by Danu Venture Group and AMD Ventures.
DoorDash announced the $1.2 billion acquisition of SevenRooms, a
CRM-driven guest engagement and marketing platform that helps
restaurant and hospitality operators strengthen guest relationships and
drive growth both in-store and online. Since August 2014, SevenRooms
has raised approximately $74.9 million over 6 rounds.
Soapbox, a full-stack and fully vertically integrated native Warehouse,
Transportation, and Fulfillment Management Solution provider, raised
$14.6 million from Mucker Capital, putting the company’s post-money
valuation at $56 million.
Sponsorbooker, a publishing and sponsorship platform integrating digital,
newsletters, and podcast content, was acquired by EmpowerLocal.
Social Snowball, an influencer, affiliate, and referral marketing platform
for e-commerce brands, was acquired by Dotdigital Group for $35
million.
Target Description
Buyer / Investor
Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
14 www.wpcapadvisors.com
25 Significant AdTech, MarTech &
Software Transactions (cont.)
Symbiosys, a retail media and marketing analytics platform that
integrates retailer-brand campaigns across digital and DOOH channels,
was acquired by DoorDash for $175 million.
Tastewise, a GenAI-based marketing and sales platform for global food
and beverage brands, announced a $50 million Series B to scale its
generative brands. The funding round was led by TELUS Global Ventures,
with participation from Duo Partners, Peakbridge
, Disruptive AI, and PICO,
bringing Tastewise’s total funding to date to $72 million.
TouchCast, a virtual events and digital experience company offering
GenAI video, conversational web, and AI-powered event conferencing,
was acquired by Infinite Reality for $500 million.
Wealthbox, a CRM platform designed to connect with clients, prospects,
and coworkers, announced a $200 million strategic majority investment
from Sixth Street Growth.
Target Description
Buyer / Investor
Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
Investment Bankers to Tech-Enabled Advertising, Marketing,
Media, eCommerce and Business Service Companies
Mike Petsky
Managing Partner
mike@wpcapadvisors.com
+1 917.882.5834
www.wpcapadvisors.com
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Transaction Expertise And Industry Knowledge
Deal NewsBrief
Advertising & Marketing
2Q25
