GMO Ad Partners(GMO-AP)[J], a web ad agency of Shibuya-based web juggernaut GMO Internet Group, announced it would acquire Sanow Inc.[J] who has been developing a behavioral targeting and content-match ad network for mobile. Sanow has been a subsidiary of Unoh Inc.[J] who has developed several web application services including Machi-Tsuku (described in this story).
GMO-AP set up a new department to develop ad distribution platforms this month, and the company decided to use Right Media by Yahoo for PC-based ad distribution needs and NeoAd[J] by Sanow for mobile needs. In order to enforce the relationship with Sanow, GMO-AP will take stakes in Sanow to 100% by the end of this month.
(Author’s Note: Sanow stands for the left brain in Japanese, and its current parent company Unoh means the right brain.)
See Also:
Press Release: GMO Ad-Partners to subsidiize Sanow who develops ad network platform NeoAd [J,PDF]
Masaru IKEDA