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A record number of advertising and marketing technology companies went public last year, according to a new report from LUMA Partners, a leading media and marketing investment firm. Deal volume among ad tech, marketing tech and digital media companies soared 82% year-over-year.
Why it matters: It wasn't long ago that investors were pulling back from the ad tech industry, fearing it would crumble as the sector moved away from tracking cookies and toward privacy-focused targeting solutions.
Details: Most deals last year fell broadly into four categories.
The big picture: Part of the newfound investor optimism in ad tech companies has to do with the way the markets have been shaped by the pandemic.
What to watch: Many companies exploring ad tech deals and IPOs focus on verifying that ad dollars are spent correctly and in a privacy-focused way. IPOs for companies like DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science last year speak to that trend.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Lawmakers and lobbyists anticipate a major fight over antitrust bills meant to tame Big Tech, before the midterms put an unofficial end to the legislative effort.
Why it matters: The bills could remake how Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google operate and treat competitors — if they make it over the finish line.
Photo: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Take-Two Interactive, publisher of games like Grand Theft Auto and NBA 2K, agreed to buy Zynga for $12.7 billion in cash and stock.
Why it matters: This reflects how traditional game publishers are spending big on mobile, where Zynga has had success with both its legacy hits (e.g., Farmville, Words with Friends) and so-called hypercasual games like Hair Challenge.
President Biden is seen through a TelePrompTer screen on Tuesday as he calls for preserving voting rights. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Voting reform looks as unlikely this year as Build Back Better:
Why it matters: As midterm campaigning ramps up, Biden’s biggest accomplishments could well be in his rear-view mirror.

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