Viant expands programmatic capabilities with Lockr acquisition

Viant, a company specializing in connected TV and artificial intelligence-driven programmatic advertising, has acquired Lockr, a platform designed to facilitate first-party data collaboration for content owners. Lockr’s CEO, Keith Petri, will continue leading the company following the acquisition.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition is expected to bolster Viant’s efforts in enhancing addressability across the open internet. Lockr provides publishers and content creators with a streamlined approach to integrating first-party data, eliminating the need for extensive engineering resources. The platform enables alternative identity solutions within the programmatic advertising ecosystem, supporting the transition away from third-party data reliance.

Viant’s CEO, Tim Vanderhook, emphasized the strategic significance of the acquisition, stating that it aligns with the company’s commitment to fostering an open advertising ecosystem. Vanderhook noted that Viant plans to make Lockr’s solutions accessible beyond its own platform, integrating them with other identifiers, including its proprietary Household ID and IRIS_ID.

Lockr’s core functionality revolves around enabling publishers to activate first-party data as a signal within ad bidding processes, a feature that is expected to drive greater adoption of Viant’s addressable advertising solutions. The acquisition follows Viant’s purchase of IRIS.TV in November 2024, marking another step in its strategy to work directly with publishers rather than relying on supply-side platforms (SSPs).

Commenting on the deal, Lockr’s CEO, Keith Petri, highlighted the experience of Viant’s leadership in digital advertising and their focus on emerging industry challenges such as AI-driven ad solutions, identity management, and measurement. Petri expressed confidence that the combined strengths of Viant and Lockr would drive further innovation in programmatic advertising.

Viant recently reported strong financial performance in Q4 2024, with revenue reaching $90 million for the quarter and $289 million for the full year, reflecting significant year-over-year growth. The company also posted a net income of $7.7 million for Q4, more than doubling its profit from the same period in 2023.