Rival Bids Impact App Analytics Ownership

Game and content creation platform Unity Software has rejected an unsolicited '$20 billion' bid from AppLovin, the parent of measurement company Adjust; and says it will continue with its own bid to buy ad tech and analytics firm ironSource.

Palo Alto, California-based AppLovin announced in April last year it would acquire mobile app measurement and marketing company Adjust, which has since launched a real-time insights solution called Datascape. AppLovin competitor ironSource bought Israeli in-app monetization measurement specialist SOOMLA in January 2021, and earlier this year launched two new tools, app user engagement and live operations tracker App Analytics and mobile gaming app testing and audience matching tool Marketability.

The Unity Board said last month it would acquire ironSource, boosting its ad tech offer in a deal then valued at around $4.4bn. AppLovin's all-share offer, valued at between $17.5bn and $20bn depending on price fluctuations in the last week, was not considered by the Board to constitute a 'superior proposal' as defined in the ironSource terms. ironSource has said this week it is committed to completing the transaction with Unity in Q4. The AppLovin offer would give Unity 55% of the combined company's outstanding shares and 49% of the voting rights, according to Reuters.

Web sites: www.is.com , www.unity.com and www.applovin.com .