Explore every episode of the podcast The FPC Podcast

Another busy week for ad tech M&A! MediaOcean acquired Innovid for $500M, and Bending Spoons acquired Brightcove for $233M M&A activities.

In funding news, Zeotap announced a $25M Series D, a combination of debt and equity, reportedly taking the total amount raised to $117M.

We also examine the financial motivations behind the growing trend of Curation, and discuss Bedrock Platform's Closed Loop Curation approach.

00:00 Introduction to Ad Tech Trends

02:59 M&A Activity in Ad Tech

06:08 Emerging Players: Bending Spoons and Brightcove

09:01 Innovid and MediaOcean: A New CTV Powerhouse

12:09 Zeotap's Series D Funding and Market Position

15:00 Curation in Ad Tech: The Rise of Bedrock

17:57 The Financial Dynamics of Curation

20:58 Conclusion and Future Outlook

• FPC M&A Tracker
• Bending Spoon's IPO plans
• Clean room sketch by Exchangewire

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In this episode of the FPC podcast, the team discusses the latest financial news in ad tech, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, the rise of Super Signal Aggregators (SSAs), and the verticalisation of ad networks. The conversation features insights from industry experts on the importance of data and attention technology, as well as the evolving landscape of B2B marketing. In this conversation, Mike Follett discusses the evolution of Lumen's partnerships, the importance of simplicity in ad tech, and how attention metrics correlate with brand uplift and profit. He emphasises the future focus on signal aggregation and AI's role in enhancing creative capabilities. The discussion also touches on the challenges of navigating valuations and the importance of capital efficiency in building sustainable businesses.

00:00 Introduction and Team Dynamics

03:09 M&A Trends in Ad Tech

06:10 The Rise of Super Signal Aggregators

09:02 Verticalisation in Ad Tech

11:56 The Future of B2B Ad Networks

14:54 Lumen's Role in Attention Technology

20:42 Partnerships and Client Demand

23:31 The Importance of Simplicity in Ad Tech

24:52 Linking Attention to Brand Uplift

28:52 Future Focus: Signals Aggregation and AI in Creative

32:03 Navigating Valuations and Capital Efficiency

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In the inaugural episode of the FPC podcast, Rich, Ciaran and Alex discuss recent M&A activity, the emergence of super signal aggregators, and the potential impact of US election on the M&A landscape. They highlight the success of companies like AppLovin and The Trade Desk, delve into the growing retail media sector, and introduce Pixels, a company focused on transforming vertical video for the open web. The conversation emphasises the evolving nature of ad tech and the opportunities for investment and growth in the sector.

• M&A activity is increasing in the ad tech space.
• The ad tech industry is bifurcating into signal and media execution.
• Super signal aggregators are becoming crucial in ad tech.
• Political changes may influence M&A activity in the coming years.
• AppLovin and Trade Desk are leading success stories in ad tech.
• Retail media is a growing sector with significant potential.
• Pixels aims to bring vertical video to the open web.
• The market for vertical video is growing rapidly.
• Generalist investors should be aware of the opportunities, but also the complexities in the ad tech space.

00:00 Introduction to The FPC Podcast

01:49 M&A Trends in Ad Tech

06:10 The Rise of Super Signal Aggregators

09:48 Political Impacts on the M&A Landscape

14:10 Success Stories: AppLovin and The Trade Desk

17:56 Retail Media and Non-Traditional Ad Businesses

21:48 Pixels: The Future of Vertical Video

29:55 Market Potential and Future Plans for Pixels

To learn more about Pixels, check out the full video interview here, and the pitch deck here.

To learn more about FPC, check out our website here, and subscribe to our newsletter here.

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