MoPub

Was one of the top two or three independent mobile ad servers and exchanges globally, competing directly with Google AdMob and Facebook Audience Network

MoPub was a pioneering mobile-focused ad server and programmatic exchange founded in 2010 in San Francisco. The platform enabled mobile app publishers to manage and monetize their ad inventory through a unified solution that combined a robust ad server, a real-time bidding (RTB) exchange, and mediation capabilities. At its peak, MoPub served billions of ad requests daily and was widely regarded as one of the most powerful and flexible monetization tools available to mobile app developers, particularly on iOS and Android. Twitter acquired MoPub in September 2013 for approximately $350 million, integrating it as a key component of its advertising infrastructure and using it to extend its reach into mobile app ecosystems beyond its own properties. Under Twitter's ownership, MoPub continued to grow its publisher network and demand-side relationships, competing directly with Google's AdMob and Facebook Audience Network. The platform was especially valued for its header bidding-equivalent unified auction capabilities, strong SDK, and extensive demand partner integrations. In October 2021, Twitter announced it would sell MoPub to AppLovin for approximately $1.05 billion, citing a desire to focus on its core advertising business. The transition period concluded in early 2022, and Twitter officially shut down MoPub on March 31, 2022. Publishers were encouraged to migrate to AppLovin's MAX mediation platform. MoPub's legacy endures in the mobile AdTech ecosystem as a platform that helped define programmatic mobile monetization standards and influenced how in-app advertising infrastructure was architected.