Experian buys Tapad for $280 million in cash

Experian this week completed the acquisition of Tapad, a provider in digital identity resolution, primarily in the United States. This year, AcuityAds integrated Tapad to increase DSP cross-device capabilities.

According to Experian, Tapad was acquired from Telenor for a cash consideration of around US$280m. The revenue for the 12 months to 31 December 2020 is forecast to be US$55m, and it will be included within Experian’s North America Data segment.

Tapad was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in New York. Experian says Tapad's cross-device data, digital linking, and distribution capabilities will complement Experian’s offline identity and marketing data assets.

Experian's roadmap for Tapad includes new products for identity verification, identity graphs, and further potential to enhance Experian’s fraud and identity management services, such as the Experian One identity platform.

The Tapad Graph

Here the definition for The Tapad Graph:

“Simply put, The Tapad Graph is a data file that includes digital ad IDs that are clustered at the individual and/or household level. It’s built using a set of customer provided input IDs as a baseline, and from there we connect those IDs to other IDs associated with them — across multiple digital device types. Receive a file each weekand start realizing the benefits of Tapad’s global cross-device graph. For example, a brand or agency with a file of first or third-party cookies can associate them to mobile devices, CTVs, and additional cookies — creating more relevant opportunities for brands to connect with consumers across devices.”