US-based AOL has signed an agreement to buy the multi-screen content optimisation and personalisation company Gravity for $90m.
Gravity makes technology that develops Interest Graphs based on individuals’ interests, preferences and habits that help companies to tailor specific editorial and advertising content to particular readers.
The transaction is expected to help AOL in combining Gravity’s technology to speed up its plans to create better experiences for its consumers, advertisers and publisher partners as well as improve ability to distribute user specific content across the internet.
The integration will also allow AOL to strengthen its technology infrastructure by providing relevant and engaging content as well as ad experiences in all formats, while including Gravity’s executive and engineers team with its content optimisation and data science expertise.
AOL Chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong said the web is moving to the era of personal, and a personal web filter will reshape how consumers get information and services.
"Gravity is joining AOL to lead the personalization transformation of AOL’s brands and platform partners," Armstrong added.
Gravity CEO Amit Kapur said every day the company is presented with an overwhelming amount of information to consume on its favorite websites and apps.
"It’s time to move beyond searching for the best content to having the best content search for you," Kapur added.
"We believe that by combining AOL’s vast brand, publisher and advertiser network with Gravity’s interest graph technology, we can do just that."
Following the acquisition, Gravity’s team will work under the lead of AOL Brand Product group head Luke Beatty, while offering its client base including Sony, Intel, USA Today and GAP.
