Freestar, a Phoenix-based company that makes software for online advertising management, has acquired Triple13, a London startup that works on monetizing mobile web traffic. Freestar announced the purchase on Wednesday, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Freestar and Triple13 both build software platforms that connect publishers putting things on the internet with the advertisers that want to buy ad space on these sites. Triple13 specifically works on monetizing Accelerated Mobile Pages, or AMP, web traffic.
The two companies began working together earlier this year, which saw Freestar publishers’ revenue grow significantly after launching Triple13 tools.
“I couldn’t be more excited to build on the successful partnership we launched with Triple13 by officially making their incredible technology and team part of Freestar,” Freestar President and CEO Kurt Donnell said in a statement. “Adding Triple13’s solutions and expertise to our existing suite of products and services truly solidifies Freestar as the most all-inclusive partner for monetization.”
This is Freestar’s third acquisition. It previously acquired the Chocolate app from Vdopia in July 2020 and it bought Sortable, a Canadian startup, in September. Freestar is one of the top web traffic generating properties in the U.S., pulling in more than 148 million unique visitors in October.
Freestar was originally founded in 2015 by two Arizona State University alumni, and last year the company generated more than $82 million in revenue. The company has consistently ranked on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., placing as the No. 1 fastest grower back in 2019.
The company landed an investment from Boston-based Abry Partners in December 2020, which was the company’s first institutional investor. Freestar declined to disclose the size of Abry’s investment, but described it as “significant.”
Donnell will continue in his role leading Freestar while Matt Whaley, founder of Triple13, will join Freestar’s senior team focusing on product innovation. The Triple13 acquisition gives Freestar better access in Europe and boosts the Freestar headcount by 15 for a total around 140 people worldwide.
