The Trade Desk acquires Sincera

The Trade Desk, a global leader in ad tech, has announced the acquisition of Sincera. Known for its expertise in aggregating metadata and media telemetry data, Sincera has quickly emerged as a trusted provider of insights into programmatic advertising. While the financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed, this partnership aims to revolutionize how advertisers and publishers interact with and understand advertising data.

Founded in 2022 by Mike O’Sullivan and Ian Meyers, Sincera has built its reputation on providing objective metadata insights about the ad tech ecosystem. By analyzing the code on websites, the company delivers valuable data on identifiers in bid requests, inventory quality, and compliance with consent collection standards. These insights empower publishers, advertisers, and ad tech vendors to make informed decisions.

Through its integration with The Trade Desk, Sincera will gain access to a wealth of transaction data from bids, enabling even deeper analysis. For instance, publishers will soon be able to assess how deploying identifiers such as Unified ID 2.0 or ID5 influences inventory value and ad revenue. This unique capability positions Sincera as a key enabler of transparency in the digital advertising supply chain.

“With The Trade Desk’s resources, we can scale our offerings to new heights, providing actionable insights that benefit the entire programmatic ecosystem,” stated O’Sullivan.

The acquisition aligns with both companies’ shared commitment to fostering a transparent and thriving open internet. Sincera’s data has already played a crucial role in tools like The Trade Desk’s publisher ranking system and its detection capabilities for made-for-advertising content. These innovations underline the growing importance of metadata in creating a fair and efficient programmatic environment.

Tim Sims, Chief Commercial Officer of The Trade Desk, emphasized that the integration of Sincera’s insights would drive measurable benefits for both publishers and advertisers. By illuminating the intricacies of the supply chain, the partnership aims to improve transparency and maximize ad spend efficiency.

Sincera’s acquisition is poised to empower advertisers with unparalleled clarity about their ad investments. By providing insights into the quality of data signals and inventory performance, publishers can optimize their offerings, attract higher demand, and boost fill rates. This integration is especially relevant for emerging digital channels such as streaming TV, digital audio, and retail media—areas where The Trade Desk already holds a dominant position.

Jeff Green, CEO and Founder of The Trade Desk, described the collaboration as a pivotal moment for the programmatic industry. “By combining Sincera’s metadata expertise with our platform’s scale, we’re setting a new standard for transparency and efficiency in advertising,” he said.

Sincera’s leadership, including CEO Mike O’Sullivan, will continue to steer the company’s vision under the umbrella of The Trade Desk. Existing customers will still have access to Sincera’s services, but new collaborative tools will gradually roll out to meet the evolving needs of the industry.

The acquisition, expected to close in early 2025 pending regulatory approvals, will mark The Trade Desk’s second major public acquisition since purchasing Adbrain in 2017. With this move, both companies are set to redefine the programmatic landscape, delivering greater transparency, efficiency, and innovation to the advertising world.

“We’re excited about the synergies this partnership will unlock,” said O’Sullivan. “Our mission to fuel growth through objective, actionable insights remains steadfast as we enter this next chapter.”