Adknowledge Acquires Hydra

Performance-based online advertising network Adknowledge has acquired Hydra Group, a cost-per-acquisition network for consumer product and services companies, in order to increase distribution.

According to Adknowledge, Hydra affiliates will gain access to Adknowledge's 6,500 advertiser campaigns, bringing the total number of available cost-per-click and cost-per acquisition offers to about 7,000 as a result of the deal.

Advertisers using Adknowledge's Bidsystem platform - its auction-based advertiser marketplace - will also be connected to thousands of Hydra affiliates, Adknowledge says.

Bidsystem allows advertisers to purchase clicks and syndicate ads. Adknowledge CEO Scott Lynn said Adknowledge now allows the typical website owner to go to Hydra and pull down an ad for products more relevant to site content than in the past.

In a prepared statement, Hydra CEO Zac Brandenberg said, "The Hydra brand will be retained in the near term and operate alongside Adstation, Adknowledge's affiliate offering where publishers are paid on a CPC basis."

Brandenberg will remain with the combined company as a consultant for a transitional period.

Lynn says he views Hydra as a standalone business that will be used to increase distribution for Adknowledge's existing advertising base.

Prior Adknowledge acquisitions include Super Rewards, MIVA, Cubics, Lookery, Media Run and Adonomics.

Lynn says Adknowledge is not finished acquiring companies and that "any business that brings a new type of distribution to our ad community or brings more distribution to the space we're already in is interesting."