Cincinnati startup Ahalogy bought for $50 million by Coupons.com owner

Cincinnati, Ohio’s Ahalogy has been acquired by the parent company of Coupons.com for $50 million, according to Friday press release from the startup. The Ohioan startup calls itself an “influencer marketing firm” that makes content for consumer brands through social media.

The purchase of Ahalogy was made by Quotient Technology, which focuses on media solutions for consumer-packaged goods.

“Ahalogy is a perfect fit for Quotient as we expand and grow our digital media solutions, with a specific focus on CPG shopper marketing,” said Mir Aamir, President and CEO of Quotient in the company’s press release. “Ahalogy has proven expertise in creating and delivering targeted digital content that drives brand sales, especially through social channels. This gives us another capability to deliver efficient digital media campaigns that reach valuable shoppers, including our 100 million verified buyer audience, using our proprietary shopper data to drive sales and measure performance.”

As the industry of influencer marketing is expected to reach $10 billion in the next few years, according to expert estimates, Ahalogy has stood out with its interconnected network that includes thousands of social media figures that can appeal to brands. With a software platform that helps automate the process of searching for the latest trending topics and talking points on social media, Ahalogy then spreads its campaigns through verified media sources.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to join Quotient,” said Bob Gilbreath, who cofounded Ahalogy in 2012 and serves as the company’s CEO. “This is a great opportunity to bring our influencer marketing capabilities to the more than 2,000 brands within Quotient’s network, giving CPG brands and retailers a single company to manage much of their digital marketing.”

Quotient is required to spend some $20 million in cash up front. Additionally, consideration of some $30 million in cash will become payable by the conclusion of 2019.

Michael Krumholtz: Michael is a journalist living in Medellín, Colombia.