Purch Acquires AnandTech, Dominates Tech Expert and Enthusiast Market
Leading content and commerce company adds respected mobile, computing, and IT reviews site to its brand portfolio
NEW YORK, NY (December 17, 2014) – Purch today announced the acquisition of AnandTech.com, a leader in mobile, computing and IT analysis and reviews. Purch’s industry-leading combination of high-quality content and integrated commerce experiences makes complex buying decisions easy for more than 100 million consumers and professionals monthly. With the acquisition of AnandTech, Purch furthers its mission to simplify purchase decisions for in-market tech consumers by adding one of the most popular computer components, hardware, and mobile reviews sites to a brand portfolio that already includes category heavyweight, Tom’s Hardware.
AnandTech has been at the forefront of the technological evolution, providing groundbreaking reviews and trend coverage of cutting-edge mobile and computing products since Anand Shimpi, one of the tech industry’s most authoritative and respected figures, founded it in 1997 at age 14.
“AnandTech has grown by leaps and bounds over the past several years, but we were nearing what’s possible as an independent company,” said Ryan Smith, editor-in-chief, AnandTech. “The challenge has always been that there are very few players in the publishing space these days who value deep, high-quality content. We wanted a partner that understood our values, had a sound business model to ensure AnandTech’s legacy would continue for years to come, and would allow us to grow and expand our readership without compromising the quality that made us who were are today. Purch provides all of these things. I am beyond excited about what we’ll be able to do with their support.”
“The addition of AnandTech to a brand portfolio that includes Tom’s Hardware, Tom’s Guide, and Top Ten Reviews unquestionably establishes Purch as the dominant provider of in-depth, quality technology content, serving technology buyers who want to ensure the value of their potential investments,” said Greg Mason, CEO, Purch. “Technology manufacturers, too, can be assured that their messages will reach any serious buyer. The two editorial teams represent the finest, most expert group of content talent in the technology space. ”
“AnandTech represents much of my life’s work over the past 18 years,” said Anand Shimpi, founder, AnandTech. “I am happy to see it end up with a partner committed to taking good care of the brand and its readers. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
Purch offers brands and advertisers unmatched reach to tens of millions of discerning in-market tech consumers and professionals each month. These tech “enthusiasts” look to the kind of detailed research, benchmark testing, and advice from category experts during their buying process for which Tom’s Hardware and AnandTech are known. Readers trust that advice because it is backed by nearly two decades of testing every mobile and PC component imaginable, and is supported by unprecedented input and guidance from the biggest, passionate community of like-minded enthusiasts.
Purch’s acquisition of AnandTech is the company’s most recent move in a series of strategic acquisitions and partnerships aimed at furthering its mission to ease complex buying decisions for shoppers and deliver branding and performance results to advertisers. In 2013, the company acquired the renowned “Tom’s” brand of tech media sites and, earlier this year, purchased BuyerZone, the leading online marketplace for SMB buyers and sellers. Purch’s ability to trigger buying decisions in an array of product categories is evidenced by the more than 7,000 marketers and sellers that come to Purch to connect with ready-to-buy consumers. Each year, Purch’s content-commerce combination drives more than one billion dollars in commerce transactions.
In addition to the acquisition, Purch is now the number one technology publisher in the U.S., [1] with a global readership of more than 100 million monthly unique visitors.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
To find out more about Purch, visit www.purch.com or follow the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
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About Purch
Purch is a portfolio of digital brands and services that helps make complex buying decisions easy for 100 million consumers monthly. Its respected sites such as Top Ten Reviews, Tom’s Guide, Tom’s Hardware, and Live Science natively integrate commerce and content in more than 1000 product categories so consumers can make better choices before, during, and after an important purchase.
The company helps marketers achieve their branding and performance objectives in a high-quality, brand-safe context. Its sites connect in-market shoppers with more than 7,000 marketers and sellers, driving industry-leading conversion rates and $1 billion in commerce transactions annually.
Purch is a high-growth, privately held company with more than 350 employees and offices across the U.S. and Europe.
For more information on Purch, visit www.purch.com or follow the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
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[1] Source: comScore U.S. Media Metrix, Tech-News category ranking by unique visitors, PC audience, September 2014
345 Comments
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Tchamber - Thursday, December 18, 2014 - link
Ryan and team:
I've been a casual reader since the Pentium 3, and I always read your reviews before making a computer purchase. I've even started reading your mobile content before making purchases. I have great respect for you and your team, and I will continue to visit your site regularly. The ranters and ravers out there probably care too much, but then they'll probably come back time to time to see what's going on...and in time well be regular visitors again. Don't sweat them. I wish you all the best...and early Merry Christmas :-)
CristianM - Friday, December 19, 2014 - link
I see the first change after the buyout is the removal of the dailytech feed. Not nice, not nice at all.milkod2001 - Friday, December 19, 2014 - link
I only hope this Purch won't force you guys to put as many ads as on Toms and that your reviews will keep current high standards and won't change into prepaid/pre-scripted ads with millions links to Amazon, Newegg etc. Only time will tell if the last IT mohycans(Anandtech) just got stabbed into back or not.For the missing edit option: why don't you guys use fast, secure & properly working Disqus instead of this joke?
Devo2007 - Friday, December 19, 2014 - link
I am amazed at the attacks being lodged against the writers and other staff at Anandtech; people who are human beings just like you & I. People who (generally) have put in a lot of hard work making Anandtech what it is.For those who really think they can do a better job, go ahead and do it! Don't just sit there and badmouth the writers here. Show a bit of respect here!
It's fine to have an opinion and offer constructive feedback, but quite a lot of the comments here have been anything but constructive.
VanDiesil - Friday, December 19, 2014 - link
Sad day indeed. I have been around the internet tech sites since day one for most and Anand lal Shimpi was the person that made Anandtech what it was.When the bigger sites started selling out (Windrivers was one of the first), that spelled the death of truly unbiased editorial. Most of the reviews started to be the same including bigging up flawed hardware to the point that it was pure fanboism (yes I know not a word!) over the actual truth. The only site that continued to truthfully review products is HardOCP with no airs or graces other than the truth.
I wish all the best to Anand and will now remove the bookmark from my browsers.
digiguy - Friday, December 19, 2014 - link
I think Anandtech deserves the benefit of doubt. I am not surprised to hear some people predicting the end of the world. It always happens in these situations. What matters is not them, but how things will develop over the next months and years. Anand left, which is undoubtedly a loss, but the rest of the team still makes an excellent job, so I will keep on reading them every day, and I am sure many will do too. I am not too worried about ads, if big popups start to appear I will simply remove AT from Adblock plus whitelist... But as long as people like Kristian, Ganesh and the others stay on-board I will stay with them... If they start leaving I will leave the boat too.FITCamaro - Friday, December 19, 2014 - link
Is that why Dailytech links are no longer on the sidebar?cknobman - Friday, December 19, 2014 - link
Yeah I commented on this yesterday as the Dailytech links were one of the mains reasons I visited this site besides the articles. I'll give it a bit but if they dont come back I'm out.Tchamber - Friday, December 19, 2014 - link
What...is it too hard to add DT to you favs? Your life sounds rough, how on earth are you going to cope?zlandar - Friday, December 19, 2014 - link
As someone who has been sh!tted on by megacorporations for being too small to matter I understand.The only way to fight fire is with fire. You have to get big enough to matter so the megacorpations blink when they lowball you and you tell them to f@ck off.