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Equativ, the French ad tech company backed by Bridgepoint, has acquired media platform Kamino Retail, Axios has learned.  

Why it matters: The deal comes as retail media is expected to grow 22% to $140 billion globally in 2024, per eMarketer. 

How it works: Equativ manages an ad server, a supply-side platform, demand-side platform and tools for ad buyers. Formerly known as Smart AdServer, the company was founded in 2001 and rebranded in 2022 after acquiring LiquidM and DynAdmic. It later acquired Nowtilus.

Bridgepoint invested in Equativ last year, becoming its majority shareholder. Deutsche Telecom invested this year. Also this year, Equativ merged with Sharethrough, an SSP with strength in North America.

Kamino Retail co-CEO Elie Aboucaya co-founded Storetail in 2014, which Criteo acquired in 2018. He and three co-founders started Kamino Retail in 2023 as a new monetization platform for retail media as they saw the sector mature.  

Equativ CEO Arnaud Créput says he has long known the Kamino Retail team, connected by both being in Paris and ad tech histories, and that they collaborated when the co-founders started developing the business.

Zoom in: The acquisition talks came as Kamino Retail explored raising more capital. Prior, Kamino Retail raised €1.25 million in pre-seed funding from 50 Partners, Better Angle funds and other angel investors.

All of Kamino Retail's 20 employees are joining Equativ's team of 720. 

Poskauer and Paul Hastings served as legal advisers to Equativ. Villechenon served as legal adviser and Clipperton as financial adviser to Kamino Retail.

By the numbers: Equativ grew net revenue from €50 million in 2020 to €200 million expected in 2024. Créput says the goal is to achieve $400 million by 2027.

Créput says it makes 60% of its revenue from the U.S., 30% in Europe and the remaining 10% in Latin America. It operates in 18 different countries.

Equativ integrates with about 70 different demand-side platforms and works with 1,300 publishers.

What's next: Kamino Retail will remain as an autonomous subsidiary of Equativ, focusing on on-site retail media globally, until it is completely integrated.

"What matters a lot for us is global scale. We are now part of the top three SSP worldwide in terms of size," Créput says, adding that it plans to grow by focusing on CTV and retail media. 

Exclusive: Ad tech firm Equativ acquires Kamino Retail

Illustration of a cursor arrow with a retail price tag

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Equativ, the French ad tech company backed by Bridgepoint, has acquired media platform Kamino Retail, Axios has learned. Why it matters: The deal comes as retail media is expected to grow 22% to $140 billion globally in 2024, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="per eMarketer" data-vars-click-url="https://www.emarketer.com/content/retail-media-accounts-one-fifth-of-worldwide-digital-ad-spend" data-vars-content-id="5e07595a-d43d-438e-9bc9-baf940a9224b" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Ad tech firm Equativ acquires Kamino Retail" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.emarketer.com/content/retail-media-accounts-one-fifth-of-worldwide-digital-ad-spend" target="_blank">per eMarketer</a>.

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Exclusive: Ad tech firm Equativ acquires Kamino Retail

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