Social analytics specialist Kontagent is to merge with monetisation and retention service provider PlayHaven to develop “a superior integrated solution” to help mobile-focused companies and developers gain a deeper understanding of user behaviour.
The new solution has been launched with each company’s existing customers, making it already live in more than 22,000 apps, allowing it to reach over 400m monthly active users and track over 370bn events each month.
It is described as “closing the loop” between data analysis and user management actions. Kontagent’s mobile analytics and data science solutions allow developers to identify trends in customer behaviour and pick out points at which users churn, while PlayHaven’s suite of acquisition, engagement, and monetization tools help to address these.
The companies have not explained how the deal has been structured, though PlayHaven chief executive will continue his role for the combined company, with Kontagent CEO Josh Williams becoming chief technology officer and chairman of the business.
They will be supported by a management team comprising a number of executives from each company, while a range of venture capital firms will invest in the new entity including Altos Ventures, Battery Ventures, e.ventures, GGV Capital, Maverick Capital, Morgan Creek and Tandem.
Yang described the deal as “a massive game changer – not only for PlayHaven and Kontagent, but for our customers and the broader mobile industry.”
“Together, we are bridging the gap between insight and action in unprecedented fashion,” Yang added.
Kontagent CEO Williams noted that due to the fragmented mobile market, companies needed to employ “dozens of software development kits and services” in order to create a viable solution to for as wide a range of clients as possible.
“We’re excited to take this leap forward — offering an end-to-end solution that greatly reduces complexity and helps developers act quickly in a highly competitive environment,” he said.
Founded in 2010, PlayHaven is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Portland, Helsinki and Buenos Aires, and works with a number of social gaming studios including Playtika, Digital Chocolate and Glu. Kontagent is also heaquartered in San Francisco, but has established a wider international presence with bases in London, Toronto, Seoul and Tokyo, and includes Zynga and Electronic Arts among its customers.