News

AppLovin acquires in-app header bidding company MAX Inc

Discoverability platform expands services to include the new header bidding solution

Date Type Companies involved Size
September 6th, 2018 acquisition AppLovin Not disclosed
AppLovin acquires in-app header bidding company MAX Inc

Mobile marketing platform AppLovin has acquired app header bidding solution MAX Inc for an undisclosed sum.

MAX provides a platform for advertisers to bid on a publisher’s catalogue. As part of the acquisition, the eight-person start-up will change its name to 'MAX by AppLovin' and grant bidders access to AppLovin’s collection of mobile games companies.

The MAX platform will be integrated with AppLovin’s own discoverability platform and continue to service customers from both.

MAX founder and chairman Jim Payne will take on a role as strategic advisor at AppLovin.

Lovin it

“MAX’s mission is to deliver effective header bidding technology to the market," said AppLovin CEO and co-founder Adam Foroughi.

"Their goal of facilitating an unbiased auction helps increase developer monetisation and that aligns nicely with our mission. Header bidding is extremely valuable to this industry, and we're excited to develop the product together for the benefit of the entire mobile ecosystem.”

Payne added: “We are thrilled to join the AppLovin team, whose work I’ve followed and admired since the early days of mobile programmatic.

“AppLovin has become a close and trusted partner for nearly every mobile gaming studio. We look forward to building a platform together that helps mobile game publishers of all sizes grow.”

While the MAX buyout will assist in AppLovin’s mobile discovery platform, the company has begun the process of moving into the publishing space with new division Lion Studios.


Staff Writer

Natalie Clayton is an Edinburgh-based freelance writer and game developer. Besides PCGamesInsider and Pocketgamer.biz, she's written across the games media landscape and was named in the 2018 GamesIndustry.biz 100 Rising Star list.