Quartile, the leading ad optimization platform for top e-commerce marketplace sellers, today announced it has acquired Sidecar, a performance marketing technology provider for e-commerce retailers and brands that works across all major advertising platforms, including Google, Microsoft Bing, Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon.
The two companies will combine under the Quartile name, growing the brand into the world’s largest cross-channel e-commerce advertising platform. Both platforms apply machine-learning and natural-language processing to provide data-driven strategies and best practices to brand marketers while also offering best-in-class reporting and ad management.
Quartile expects the acquisition to double its amount of advertising spend under management across all platforms to $2 billion in 2021. Unilever, Burt’s Bees and Thrasio are among the more than 5,000 brands currently using the platforms on e-commerce channels like Amazon, Google, Instacart, Walmart, Facebook and Shopify. The combined company will have clients across 26 countries.
“By combining Sidecar’s best-in-class solution and expertise managing campaigns for DTC e-commerce merchants with our proprietary AI-driven analytics and optimization platform, we will create the most comprehensive and powerful e-commerce suite,” said Daniel Knijnik, co-founder and CEO at Quartile. “The two companies’ complementary businesses, products and relationships will offer unrivaled benefits for our combined customers, employees and other stakeholders across a diverse set of markets.”
“Retail marketers and small businesses are up against great odds when it comes to being seen in online marketplaces. Only 0.1% of products account for around 80% of the sales on e-commerce marketplaces, so brands recognize they need a holistic solution to help them compete in all marketplaces and direct-to-consumer websites,” added Knijnik.
Both Quartile and Sidecar have witnessed exponential growth in recent years as fiercer competition among e-commerce merchants has led to increased advertising spend. Amazon is predicted to grow its ad revenue to $24.47 billion by the end of 2021, an increase of 55.5% year over year, closing the gap as the world’s third-largest ad network after Google and Facebook (whose ad revenues grew 34% and 43%, respectively). The platforms provide e-commerce marketers with a critical edge in this fast growing industry.
“We share a passion with the Quartile team for helping small businesses and large retailers grow their exposure, shopping audience, and brands across channels,” said Andre Golsorkhi, founder and CEO of Sidecar. “This acquisition is the ultimate example of how we continue to dig in for our customers as their challenges become more complex. By combining the aptitudes and technologies of Sidecar and Quartile, we are continuing to ensure the performance marketing excellence that retailers rely on us for.”
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The combined businesses will comprise a team of more than 300 personnel. Rockbridge Growth Equity, a Detroit-based private equity firm which originally invested a minority stake in Quartile in September of last year, will remain the lead institutional investor in the transaction. Existing Sidecar shareholders will also own a significant stake of the post-acquisition Quartile entity. Investment Bank Canaccord Genuity served as the exclusive financial advisor to Quartile and Rockbridge in connection with the transaction.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Sidecar team,” said Kevin Prokop, founder and managing partner at Rockbridge. “The Sidecar team has built an exceptional business. We believe the combination of Quartile and Sidecar creates a distinctive company that is uniquely positioned to capture the exciting opportunities in the e-commerce marketing industry.”
