Since being founded in 2014, Stockholm-based Acast has become the world’s largest podcast company. It has just announced the acquisition of NYC-based Pippa, a startup that offers hosting, analytics, and monetization for podcasters.
Until now, Acast’s tools have been available only to podcasts with an established number of listeners. With the acquisition of Pippa, any podcaster will be able to sign up to host their show on Acast with just one click, with the ability to make money from their podcast from day one through its monetization tools.
“This acquisition meaningfully accelerates our growth and will move Acast forward in our mission to empower podcasters of every size and help them connect with audiences around the world,” said Ross Adams, Acast CEO. “We were extremely impressed by what the Pippa team have built and we’re excited to pour fuel on the flames now that Pippa is part of the Acast team.”
Together, Pippa and Acast represent a comprehensive solution for all podcasters, whatever their size. Pippa’s simple, sleek, easy to use platform complements Acast’s depth of revenue solutions, pushing podcast creation and distribution to the next level. Founded in 2016, Pippa was part of the first Techstars music program in 2017, and is the first company from that program to be acquired.
“Acquiring Pippa is a natural step for us as the leading podcasting company in the world,” said Leandro Saucedo, Acast’s Chief Business Officer. “Acast has been an essential part of professionalizing the industry and implementing modern and digital metrics to the podcast ecosystem. We look forward to working with the Pippa team to continue to propel the industry forward.”
Combined with Pippa, Acast will now have more than 7,000 shows covering the full range of podcasters from the world’s most premium publishers such as BBC, Financial Times, Economist, and Vogue.
“We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built at Pippa—a product that podcasters genuinely love,” said Simon Marcus, CEO and Co-Founder of Pippa. “We’ve long admired Acast as the premier podcast company in the world, so we’re confident that our forces combined will accelerate Acast’s success in serving and spurring the growth of podcasters, advertisers, and listeners worldwide.”
