Media verification and measurement specialist DoubleVerify announced today it has bought Belgian digital video ad tech company Zentrick for an undisclosed fee. Zentrick, founded in 2010, develops middleware solutions for digital video which is says helps streamline ad delivery and improve performance. Following the acquisition, Zentrick’s engineering teams will continue to operate from their offices in Ghent, Belgium, according to DoubleVerify.
Zentrick historically produced interactive elements for video content, but has recently become more focussed on its video ad delivery solutions. Specifically the company has sought to address ‘breakage’ in video ad delivery, where video ads are unable to play due to incompatibility of multiple playback standards and latency delays in the video ad load. The company claims that breakage currently affects around 30 percent of video ads that are sold.
Zentrick says its middleware reduces video breakage by over 50 percent by shortening loads times and eliminating multiple forms of latency that can prevent a video ad from delivery. The company also says its software is able to detect and resolve issues which cause breakage as they occur.
It is these capabilities that DoubleVerify seems particularly interested in. “DV’s mission is to power the new standard of marketing performance, giving advertisers clarity and confidence in their digital investment,” said Wayne Gattinella, DoubleVerify’s CEO. “Eliminating ad breakage has a direct effect on the performance of online advertising that will resonate throughout the ecosystem.”
Zentrick meanwhile believes that the DoubleVerify acquisition will help it scale further. “Integrating Zentrick’s digital video technology and expertise with DV’s industry-wide platform will accelerate our efforts to simplify and streamline ad performance,” said CEO and co-founder Frederik Neus. “In 2018, Zentrick accelerated the delivery of more than 150 billion video ads. Through integration with DoubleVerify, we anticipate scaling our solution to better service both advertisers and publishers, while driving even greater positive impact throughout the ecosystem.”
The acquisition is DoubleVerify’s second of the year, having bought contextual intelligence and content classification company Leiki last month for an undisclosed fee.
