Axel Springer

One of Europe's largest digital media companies and a top-tier premium publisher in the global programmatic advertising ecosystem

Axel Springer is an international media and technology company that empowers people to make free decisions for their lives by providing information across diverse media brands.¹ Since April 29, 2025 it has been a family-owned media company, with Friede Springer and Mathias Döpfner holding 95% of its shares, after KKR and CPP Investments sold their stakes and took majority control of its former classifieds businesses Stepstone and AVIV, in which Axel Springer kept a minority stake.² Its internal unit SPRING manages the publisher's media brands, selling web advertising across its media websites and generating paid print and digital subscriptions.³ To drive conversions and better monetize ad spend, SPRING uses a customer data platform to collect first-party data and power dynamic, highly personalized programmatic advertising.³ On the execution side, SPRING builds dynamic creative that swaps out calls to action, colors, text, and headlines to deliver personalized messages tailored to granular audience segments.³ AdUp, another unit within Axel Springer, leverages the group's ecosystem of high-reach brands, established platforms, and state-of-the-art technology to give advertisers access to attractive advertising environments.⁴ Source 1: axelspringer.com — Company – Axel Springer SE Source 2: nasdaq.com — Axel Springer Implements New Corporate Structure Source 3: tealium.com — How SPRING Axel Springer Powers Up Campaign ... Source 4: adup-tech.com — Axel Springer – AdUp