Pasadena-based OpenX Acquires LiftDNA In Digital-Ad Transaction

Pasadena-based OpenX Technologies Inc. (OpenX), the world’s leading independent provider of digital advertising technology, announced they have acquired longtime partner LiftDNA through a combination of cash and stock in “the tens of millions,” according to sources.

Purchase of the Pennsylvania-based LiftDNA has strengthened its real-time trading platform for digital advertising purchases. LiftDNA will now officially become part of OpenX. The acquisition, OpenX will optimize their ad revenue by unifying LiftDNA’s next generation SSP with OpenX’s own premium ad server.

Combined with OpenX’s ad server and ad exchange technology, CEO Tim Cadogan said the company will now be able to offer publishers to manage all of their ad revenue in one place.

“That is very important because today the industry is fragmented and publishers have to piece together solutions themselves which is difficult and results in reduced revenue,” Cadogan says. “Providing a unified solution addresses these problems head on and makes publishers more money. We are the first to be able to deliver this unified platform to publishers.”

Founded in 2007, OpenX recently announced that in the fourth quarter of last year, it achieved profitability by pulling in $100 million in revenue on an annualized basis. The company has said it is now taking the necessary steps to go public, though it hasn’t made a final decision on the timing.

OpenX has now raised more than $50 million in venture capital funds and its technology is now being used by websites in over 100 countries.