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.

[1] Source: comScore U.S. Media Metrix, Tech-News category ranking by unique visitors, PC audience, September 2014

AnandTech Acquired By Purch
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  • LauRoman - Thursday, December 18, 2014 - link

    I really hope you don't become as ugly, spammy and view/click chasy as Tom's has.
  • geniekid - Thursday, December 18, 2014 - link

    +1. It's entirely possible for Purch to leave the editorial content alone while destroying the site via ads and some kind of "Partner News" section, though to be fair, it's hard to imagine something worse than DailyTech.
  • mazz7 - Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - link

    I am a tech site reader, before I think Tom's is shallow in content but since purch acquire them the content is more like anandtech, so I think It;s good for anandtech to be acquired by Purch to extend the quality of the site.
  • macs - Thursday, December 18, 2014 - link

    Just visited tomshardware and I decided to remove anandtech from whitelist on adblock...
  • Ryan Smith - Thursday, December 18, 2014 - link

    I would hope you could reconsider. Just because we're owned by Purch does not mean we have any intention of becoming like Tom's. Not in content nor design. We run our own affairs, as does Tom's.
  • SunLord - Thursday, December 18, 2014 - link

    You intentions don't matter anymore only what Purch wants will matter from here on so I'm gonna have myself the trouble of the massive amounts of future ads and crosslinks ala Toms and just let Anandtech enjoy going back into the land of adblock with toms /. and most other overly ad heavy sites. Being affiliated with Toms hardware is about the worst thing you all could of done as it gives everyone whos been around long enough to know exactly whats coming.
  • macs - Thursday, December 18, 2014 - link

    Ok Ryan, in those years you gained my loyalty and I want to support Anandtech. I hope you will continue this way.
  • backbydemand - Thursday, December 18, 2014 - link

    I really hope the editorial content doesn't suffer the same way Tom's Hardware has. I used to frequent Tom's all the time, but in the last few years has become terrible, the worst kind of tabloid hack rubbish. I await to be surprised, don't let me down.
  • HollyDOL - Thursday, December 18, 2014 - link

    My first tech site was Tom's... when it started to turn in a junk, I went and discovered AT. It starts to sound like history repeating itself now. Will see in a few months.
  • wavetrex - Thursday, December 18, 2014 - link

    Oh, so that's why Tom's H. quality dropped drastically lately... and it became a bloated, full of ads, full of bugs piece of garbage website.
    I guess it's Goodbye Anandtech as well. *sigh*

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