Vista acquires majority stake in Integral Ad Science

Private equity firm Vista Equity Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in ad verification company Integral Ad Science.

IAS, which is almost ten years old, works with clients to boost viewability, brand safety and reduce ad fraud. It is based in New York and has offices in 13 other cities around the world.

“We are thrilled to partner with the IAS team to help the company accelerate investments that boost innovation and growth to meet the needs of customers,” said Brian Sheth, co-founder and president of Vista.

“Brand safety, viewability, and ad fraud are serious challenges to marketers and publishers around the globe. We live in a digital world and IAS plays a critical role in enabling brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms to navigate the advertising ecosystem.”
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Vista said its support will enable IAS to drive innovation and solve pressing digital advertising challenges, expanding capabilities into additional advertising channels, and scaling the business into new global markets.

Commenting on the deal – the terms of which were undisclosed – IAS CEO Scott Knoll said: “With the support from Vista, we will continue to focus on enhancing our verification capabilities to protect our customers’ assets while applying our expertise and data to help our clients to influence more consumers and grow their businesses around the globe.”

IAS investors Accomplice, August Capital, and Sapphire Ventures will remain shareholders.The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2018.