ironSource

What ironSource does

ironSource was a B2B mobile app growth and monetization platform founded in 2010 in Tel Aviv, Israel, serving mobile game developers and app publishers with an integrated stack of user acquisition, ad mediation, rewarded engagement, and on-device user lifecycle tools. The core technology combined the Vector AI platform for ROAS-optimized user acquisition, LevelPlay ad mediation connecting publishers with 25+ ad networks, Tapjoy for user-initiated rewarded offerwalls, Aura as an on-device platform embedded into device operating systems covering 2.3 billion+ devices as of June 2025, Ad Quality for creative review, Supersonic for mobile game publishing, and the legacy ironSource Ads Network. Revenue was generated primarily through advertising fees, marketplace commissions from mediation, and transaction fees from offerwall engagements, with an enterprise sales motion targeting mobile game studios and app publishers. Pricing was not publicly disclosed and was structured around campaign scope and volume commitments.

The company went public on the NYSE under ticker 'IS' in June 2021 via a SPAC business combination with Thoma Bravo Advantage, raising approximately $660 million at a $4.4 billion valuation. In October 2021 it acquired Tapjoy for approximately $400 million and Bidalgo to expand cross-channel marketing capabilities. In 2022, Unity Technologies acquired ironSource in an approximately $4.4 billion all-stock transaction, integrating its products into Unity's Grow Solutions segment, which served 85% of the top 100 mobile games by worldwide downloads.

Following the merger, ironSource products were rebranded under Unity, including 'Unity Ads powered by Vector,' 'LevelPlay,' 'Aura from Unity,' 'Supersonic from Unity,' and 'Tapjoy from Unity.' Under new Unity CEO Matt Bromberg, Unity announced a sweeping restructuring in March 2026 that included sunsetting the legacy ironSource Ads Network by April 30, 2026, exploring the divestiture of Supersonic, and selling its China division for over $1 billion to fund an AI-first pivot centered on the Vector platform. ironSource co-founder Tomer Bar-Zee resigned from Unity's board in February 2026, and the ironSource founders subsequently launched a new AI e-commerce startup called ZyG, which raised $58 million in seed funding in March 2026. The ironSource entity is now operationally closed as a standalone business.

Name

ironSource

Legal name

ironSource Ltd.

Website

https://is.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

ironSource was a B2B mobile app growth platform serving mobile game developers and app publishers with AI-powered user acquisition, ad mediation, rewarded offerwalls, and on-device engagement across 2.3 billion+ devices, now integrated into Unity's Grow Solutions following the 2022 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile App Marketing & Advertising Platform

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (459110)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Billing, Subscription & Entitlement Management (IAP orchestration) (MPAFAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores (BPAMAKAB)

Keywords

• Mobile app marketing
• Ad mediation platform
• User acquisition software
• App monetization tools
• Programmatic advertising platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Tel Aviv

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising & User Acquisition: Primary revenue stream from providing mobile advertising and user acquisition services to app developers and game publishers. Generated revenue through ad placements, bidding optimization, and programmatic advertising across the ironSource and Unity Ads networks.
2. Ad Mediation (LevelPlay): Mediation solution connecting publishers with 25+ ad networks, earning revenue through network fees and improved fill rates.
3. Rewarded Offers (Tapjoy): Offerwall marketplace generating revenue from user-initiated rewarded actions including app installs, game completions, and surveys.
4. Aura Device Integration: On-device platform integrated into device OS, engaging users from unboxing through device lifecycle for user acquisition and engagement.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ironSource provides a comprehensive mobile app growth platform enabling app developers and game publishers to acquire users, monetize applications, and optimize advertising revenue. Core offerings include Unity Ads (powered by Vector AI), LevelPlay ad mediation, Ad Quality creative review, Tapjoy offerwalls, and Aura on-device engagement platform.

Product overview

ironSource's product portfolio is now integrated into Unity's growth solutions suite following the 2022 merger. The platform offers a comprehensive mobile app marketing ecosystem including Unity Ads (powered by Vector AI for user acquisition), LevelPlay (ad mediation with 25+ networks), Ad Quality (creative review), Unity Programmatic Solutions (programmatic exchange), Tapjoy (rewarded offerwalls), Aura (device lifecycle engagement across 2.3B+ devices), and Supersonic (mobile game publishing). These solutions work together to enable app developers to acquire users, monetize through ads, and optimize their games throughout the device lifecycle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ironSource Ads: Mobile advertising network for user acquisition and app monetization
• ironSource and Unity Ads Exchange
• Aura from Unity
• Supersonic from Unity

Products and services

• Unity Ads Unity's advertising platform for mobile user acquisition and app promotion, powered by Vector AI for optimized campaign performance and ROAS goals. Designed for mobile game developers and app publishers seeking high-quality user growth.
• LevelPlay Ad mediation solution offering access to 25+ leading ad networks, A/B testing capabilities, and real-time transparency reporting to maximize revenue and optimize monetization operations for app publishers.
• Ad Quality Tool for reviewing ads shown to users, identifying creatives that cause friction, troubleshooting negative reviews, and monitoring problematic ad content. Protects app user experience and brand safety.
• Unity Programmatic Solutions Programmatic advertising solutions including the ironSource and Unity Ads Exchange for serving quality ads from major brands and marketers with full visibility into programmatic performance.
• Tapjoy from Unity User-initiated rewarded marketplace offerwall for reaching high-intent users, diversifying revenue streams, and boosting engagement. Processes 100M+ monthly event conversions.
• Aura from Unity Native on-device platform integrated into device operating systems, engaging high-quality users from device unboxing throughout the full device lifecycle. Integrated into 2.3B+ devices as of June 2025.
• Supersonic from Unity Mobile game publishing technology with advanced publishing tools, full transparency, and expert team support for profitably scaling games. Note: Unity is exploring divestiture of Supersonic as of 2026.
• Unity CTV Connected TV advertising solution combining TV streaming advertising reach with app user acquisition for expanded audience targeting and brand engagement.
• Vector AI-powered advertising platform using self-learning models and Unity ecosystem data to optimize user acquisition campaigns through dynamic behavioral adaptation. Powers Unity Ads and delivers mid-teen sequential quarterly revenue growth.

Quantifiable outcome

• 41% ROAS improvement for IEC Games on Water Sort Puzzle using Aura Scale Optimizer
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BidalgocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 October 2021ironSource announced acquisition of mobile marketing firm Bidalgo to strengthen its market presence across the app economy. The acquisition aimed to enhance cross-channel marketing management and unify marketing operations within the ironSource platform.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chartboost: Chartboost is a mobile ad network and programmatic exchange specializing in in-game advertising for mobile game publishers — directly comparable to ironSource's programmatic exchange and Tapjoy offerwall monetization offerings.
• AppLovin: AppLovin operates a directly comparable mobile ad-tech and user-acquisition platform (including its AXON engine and SparkLabs studios) targeting the same mobile app and game publisher customer base as ironSource, with overlapping ad mediation, UA, and monetization offerings.
• Digital Turbine: Digital Turbine is a direct competitor in mobile user acquisition and on-device media delivery, overlapping with ironSource's Aura platform and ad-tech stack; the two have also been engaged in patent litigation.
• Liftoff (Vungle): Liftoff, formed from the merger of Vungle and AerServ, is a mobile ad network and DSP focused on user acquisition and ad monetization for apps and games — a directly comparable offering to ironSource's Unity Ads and LevelPlay stack.
• Mintegral: Mintegral, owned by Mobvista, operates a mobile ad network and programmatic mediation platform serving mobile game and app publishers globally — directly comparable to ironSource's LevelPlay mediation and UA offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Unity Technologies: Unity is ironSource's parent company and a broader incumbent in the gaming platform space, integrating ironSource products into its Grow Solutions segment; Unity's engine, LevelPlay, Unity Ads, and Vector now subsume ironSource's capabilities.
• Google AdMob: Google AdMob is a broad incumbent in mobile ad mediation and monetization, serving the same app publisher customer base as ironSource with a much larger portfolio footprint; AdMob competes directly with LevelPlay for mediation share.
• Meta Audience Network: Meta's Audience Network is a broad incumbent mobile ad network and mediation layer competing for the same in-app ad inventory and publisher demand that ironSource's Unity Ads and LevelPlay target.
• InMobi: InMobi is a global mobile ad-tech incumbent offering mediation, programmatic, and UA solutions for app publishers; its Glance on-device advertising business is particularly adjacent to ironSource's Aura device-lifecycle platform.

Emerging players

• Moloco: Moloco is an emerging ML-driven programmatic ad-tech and DSP platform focused on app and commerce advertising; its machine-learning approach directly competes with Vector AI's positioning and represents a growing threat in mobile UA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ironSource
• Facebookfacebook.com/ironSource
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ironsource

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors13 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A9 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ironSource