xAd acquires WeatherBug to bolster its location-specific marketing capabilities after $42.5m funding round
Location-based marketing firm xAd has acquired the popular weather app, WeatherBug, giving it a huge trove of data that will allow it to deliver more relevant marketing to users based on their location. The purchase comes as xAd announced another round of funding totaling $42.5m, and marks its first acquisition in the world of consumer apps.
WeatherBug has been purchased by xAd
WeatherBug competes with the likes of the Weather Channel app from The Weather Company, which is now owned by IBM, and is consistently ranking within the top-five downloads on iOS and top 10 on Android within the weather category.
From an audience perspective xAd will now have access to an audience that regularly checks the app with locations in mind, offering greater advertising accuracy.
The app was developed by Earth Networks and claims that it stands apart from similar apps in that it also has a network of weather sensors that form the basis of its weather updates and forecasts. These sensors are located globally even though WeatherBug was only marketed in the US.
While xAd has not acquired the sensors, the purchase does grant it an extended license to use the data they produce as part of the deal. Looking ahead, xAd says it plans to invest in a global rollout that will allow it to tap into that network better.
The data attained from weather and environment data yields a plethora of applications, which is why IBM acquired The Weather Company for around $2bn.
xAd’s chief executive, Dipanshu Sharma, revealed that buying WeatherBug was part of a long-term plan to acquire key apps that have strong use cases and audiences for location services.