Brief: AdAsia makes Japan acquisition following $14.5m series A close

AdAsia co-founder and CEO Kosuke Sogo. Photo credit: AdAsia.

The news:

• AI-driven advertising and marketing startup AdAsia has made its first acquisition, buying FourM – a Japanese publisher trading desk company that brokers ad space.
• FourM will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of AdAsia, and its services will be integrated with AdAsia’s platform aimed at publishers.
• Founded in 2009, FourM works with over 100 premium publishers in Japan and is a Google Certified Publishing Partner, endorsed by the internet giant to assist brand owners with its advertising features.

Why it matters:

• AdAsia confirmed the close of its series A round late last week when it received a US$2.5 million “series A-plus” investment from angel Hisanori Watanabe and Japanese news app developer Gunosy, adding to US$12 million it secured from JAFCO earlier this year.
• Japan has been a focal point for the startup’s expansion plans. In April, it opened a Tokyo office using some of the JAFCO funding.
• AdAsia CEO Kosuke Sogo said in a statement that the acquisition of FourM provides the startup’s clients with “immediate access to private marketplace deals with premium publishers in Japan.” FourM’s platforms will allow AdAsia “to better match advertisers to publishers across the region,” he added.