Roqad acquires Zeotap's data division, aiming to become the leading identity tech firm in Europe.
The acquisition grants Roqad exclusive data onboarding integration with Amazon DSP in Europe.
Zeotap will focus on its customer data platform, maintaining access to its identity graph for five years.
Roqad is acquiring Zeotap-Data, the third-party data division of fellow German ad tech firm Zeotap, in a strategic play to become the “LiveRamp of Europe” by gaining critical control over data onboarding in the region. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The new gatekeeper: The acquisition's main prize is Zeotap-Data's exclusive integration for data onboarding with Amazon DSP in Europe, effectively making Roqad the new gatekeeper for any third-party data on the platform. The deal also includes existing integrations with The Trade Desk and Adform.
A strategic pivot: The sale allows Zeotap to focus entirely on its customer data platform (CDP), which has been its core priority since 2020. As part of the deal, Zeotap will maintain exclusive access to its own identity graph for five years, turning its former data arm into a strategic partner.
The deal reportedly doubles Roqad’s revenue and brings its total headcount to nearly 40. The company plans to boost its sales force in the UK and Germany by 20% as it eyes further expansion into the US and APAC, with a New York office expected to open next year.
Elsewhere, in ad tech: The push for identity resolution continues across the industry. In a similar vein, industry consortium OpenAP recently launched Open Identity, a new architecture designed to unify siloed ID data specifically for the TV and streaming advertising market.
