51Degrees
51Degrees is a Reading, UK-based IT company that provides device detection, IP intelligence, geolocation, and TAC intelligence as a real-time data API for AdTech, e-commerce, publishers, and web platforms across 1.5 million+ websites.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersReading, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What 51Degrees does
51Degrees is a Reading, UK-based information technology company founded in 2009 that operates a real-time data intelligence platform centered on its Pipeline API, a microservices aggregation layer unifying device detection, IP intelligence, geolocation, and TAC intelligence. The proprietary device database contains 1,182,944 combinations across 250+ properties and is updated by an in-house team of data analysts drawing on Usage Sharing evidence from live customer deployments; the company's patented Hash Algorithm processes over 1 million detections per second per CPU core with sub-microsecond latency. The platform is delivered via cloud (Resource Keys) or on-premise (License Keys), with multi-language SDKs in C#, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python, and native C/C++.
The company monetizes through a tiered subscription model: a free tier (10,000 monthly requests), Essentials at €49/month, Pro at €360/month, Pro Plus at €680/month, and a custom-priced Bespoke enterprise tier with on-premise and multi-year contract options. GTM combines product-led growth (open-source Pipeline API, free tier, GitHub distribution, Cloud Configurator self-serve) with sales-led motions for Bespoke enterprise deployments. 51Degrees claims usage across more than 1.5 million websites and platforms and names enterprise customers including Cisco, Sitecore, Adform, Open Text, Basis Technologies, Dynata, Trimble, and Home Shopping Network, serving AdTech, e-commerce, publishers, streaming TV, web platforms, brands, digital agencies, AI model builders, and mobile network operators. Recent strategic focus centers on the post-cookie identity transition through the 51Did probabilistic device identifier, a Preference Management Platform widget, and integrations into the Prebid.org and OpenRTB programmatic advertising ecosystems.
51Degrees firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 51Degrees
- Legal name
- 51 Degrees Mobile Experts Limited
- Website
- https://51degrees.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 51Degrees is a Reading, UK-based IT company that provides device detection, IP intelligence, geolocation, and TAC intelligence as a real-time data API for AdTech, e-commerce, publishers, and web platforms across 1.5 million+ websites.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
51Degrees industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Device Intelligence Software
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Data Platform (Unified Data & Analytics) Suites (HDAEABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Dataset Discovery, Marketplaces & Licensing (HDAAALAE)
Keywords
Where 51Degrees is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Reading
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
51Degrees business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription - Cloud: Tiered subscription model for cloud API access with monthly billing. Includes Free (10K requests), Essentials (100K requests at €49), Pro (1M requests at €360), Pro Plus (5M requests at €680), and Bespoke (unlimited)
- Subscription - On-premise: On-premise deployment option available for Free and Bespoke tiers, allowing enterprise customers to run device detection locally with maximum control and performance
- Freemium Tier: Free tier provides basic device type detection with country-level geolocation and 10,000 monthly requests, enabling developer adoption and trial
- License Keys: License Keys provide access to different data tiers and property sets. Special license keys required for standard/personalized 51Did usage in advertising
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free - Basic device detection with 10,000 monthly requests |
| Subscription | Monthly | Essentials - Entry level professional tier at €49/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Pro - Enhanced insights tier at €360/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Pro Plus - High-volume tier at €680/month |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Bespoke - Enterprise unlimited tier (contact for pricing) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
51Degrees product offering
Product offeringCore offering
51Degrees provides a real-time device and location data intelligence platform delivered through its open-source Pipeline API. The platform aggregates four core data services — Device Detection, IP Intelligence, Geolocation, and TAC Intelligence — into a single API request, deployed via cloud or on-premise, and is used by AdTech, e-commerce, publishers, and brands in over 1.5 million websites and platforms.
Product overview
51Degrees provides a real-time data intelligence platform built around its Pipeline API, which acts as a microservices aggregation layer unifying four core data services: Device Detection, IP Intelligence, Geolocation, and TAC Intelligence. These services can be deployed via cloud API (accessed through Resource Keys at cloud.51degrees.com) or on-premise (License Keys with locally distributed data files). The Build Your Own module enables organizations to add custom data services and engines to the Pipeline, creating a unified data aggregation platform. The company also offers a Prebid.js RTD module for ad tech integrations and the 51Did probabilistic device identifier for cookieless audience recognition. Pricing is structured in tiers (Free, Essentials, Pro, Pro Plus, Bespoke) with escalating property counts and data update frequencies. The product is used in over 1.5 million websites and platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pipeline API: Open source data microservices aggregation platform
- 51Did
- Free
- Essentials
- Pro
- Pro Plus
- Bespoke
Products and services
- Pipeline API Open-source microservices aggregation platform unifying Device Detection, IP Intelligence, Geolocation, TAC Intelligence, and custom data services in a single API request. Supports cloud, on-premise, and hybrid deployment with SDKs in C#, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python, and C/C++ for developers and enterprise integrators.
- Device Detection Identifies device, operating system, and browser from HTTP headers (User-Agent and User-Agent Client Hints) and returns 250+ device properties including screen size, model, vendor, age, price bands, and audio/video codecs. Used by web platforms, publishers, and AdTech to personalize experiences and optimize content delivery.
- IP Intelligence Maps IP addresses to ISP, organization, connection type, country, region, and city with sub-millisecond latency. Supports randomized coordinates for GDPR compliance and combined insights with device detection for advertising, fraud detection, and analytics use cases.
- Geolocation Provides GPS-precision location data and postal address resolution worldwide, including forward geocoding (coordinates to address) and reverse geocoding (address to coordinates) with country, city, or postal-level precision by tier.
- TAC Intelligence Maps Type Allocation Codes (first 8 digits of IMEI numbers) to detailed device profiles with 200+ verified data points including price, release date, chipsets, video support, radio spectrum, and standards. Covers 99.14% of active devices on GSM networks for mobile operators and device lifecycle use cases.
- Build Your Own Allows customers and vendors to add custom data services and engines to the Pipeline API platform, enabling distribution of proprietary data alongside 51Degrees data through a single API call.
- 51Did Probabilistic device identifier delivered as a signed OWID (Open Web ID) envelope for cookieless audience recognition. Produced only in the cloud (not on-premise) due to ECDSA P-256 signing, with tiered licensing for non-marketing, standard, and personalized usage.
- Prebid.js RTD Module Client-side Prebid.js Real-Time Data module that enriches OpenRTB 2.6 bid requests with device detection properties, 51Did probabilistic identifier, and IP Intelligence location signals for programmatic advertising platforms.
- UAParser (51Degrees open-source library) Open-source User-Agent parser library compatible with UAParser.js, providing device detection from User-Agent Client Hints and User-Agent strings including Apple iPhone/iPad models. Available on GitHub for migration from the original UAParser.js library.
- Preference Management Platform Widget Lightweight embeddable Preference Management Platform widget that captures user marketing consent (standard or personalized), stores it in localStorage, and invokes a continuation URL with the preference as id.usage. Supports TCF v2 consent strings and is served from cloud.51degrees.com/api/v4/pmp.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.14% of active devices covered by TAC intelligence
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use 51Degrees
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments10 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
51Degrees technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability4 records
Feature8 records
51Degrees partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SitecorecoreSitecore integration allows 51Degrees device detection to be embedded within the Sitecore web content management platform, enabling enterprise customers to optimize experiences based on device detection.
- Movement for an Open Webcore51Degrees actively participates in the Movement for an Open Web coalition, engaging in discussions on the future of the web including Privacy Sandbox and User-Agent changes.
- Prebid.orgcore51Degrees maintains official Prebid.js RTD module and Prebid Server modules (Java and Go) as part of the Prebid ecosystem for real-time bid request enrichment with device detection data.
- GSMAcore51Degrees TAC intelligence data is based on GSMA Type Allocation Codes, which can only be allocated by GSMA through their appointed reporting bodies.
- AdformminorFeatured customer using 51Degrees for device detection in programmatic advertising platform.
- Open Text CorporationminorFeatured customer using 51Degrees for enterprise content management optimization.
- Basis TechnologiesminorFeatured customer using 51Degrees for advertising technology solutions.
- Dynata (Research Now)minorFeatured customer using 51Degrees for market research device detection.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
51Degrees competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DeviceAtlas: DeviceAtlas (now part of Afilias/Identity Digital) provides device detection intelligence as a cloud API and on-premise SDK for web optimization, ad targeting, and analytics—the same core use cases as 51Degrees. It is the most direct head-to-head competitor in device detection.
- ScientiaMobile (WURFL): WURFL by ScientiaMobile is one of the original device description repositories and offers a comparable device detection API/SDK product aimed at web publishers and AdTech. It competes with 51Degrees on accuracy, property depth, and enterprise on-premise deployments.
- MaxMind: MaxMind is the dominant IP geolocation and IP intelligence provider, offering GeoIP databases and APIs that directly overlap with 51Degrees' IP Intelligence and Geolocation products. It is the de facto market leader 51Degrees competes against in IP-derived insights.
- IPinfo: IPinfo provides IP geolocation, ISP, and connection-type data via APIs and downloadable datasets. It is a direct competitor to 51Degrees' IP Intelligence offering and competes on accuracy, latency, and dataset freshness.
- Digital Element (NetAcuity): Digital Element's NetAcuity is a leading IP geolocation and audience intelligence solution serving AdTech, e-commerce, and content personalization—the same verticals 51Degrees targets. It competes directly on IP-based geo and audience segmentation.
- IP2Location: IP2Location offers IP geolocation databases and APIs for fraud prevention, content localization, and AdTech. It directly competes with 51Degrees' IP Intelligence and Geolocation products, particularly in the lower-priced SMB segment.
Emerging players
- Fingerprint: Fingerprint (formerly FingerprintJS) provides device fingerprinting for fraud prevention and identity resolution, with a stronger focus on accuracy and probabilistic identifiers (similar to 51Did). It overlaps with 51Degrees on device identification but is more focused on fraud than AdTech.
- ID5: ID5 provides a probabilistic identifier and identity resolution services for the open web, including a Prebid.js integration. It competes with 51Degrees' 51Did in the cookieless identity space and shares the same Prebid distribution channel.
- Semcasting: Semcasting offers IP-based audience targeting and identity data for AdTech and marketers, with capabilities overlapping 51Degrees' IP Intelligence and device-aware targeting. It is a smaller, more specialized peer in the IP-derived audience data category.
Broad incumbents
- LiveRamp: LiveRamp is a large identity resolution and data collaboration platform used across AdTech, brands, and publishers. While not a direct device detection peer, it competes for the same identity and audience intelligence budget that 51Degrees serves via 51Did and IP Intelligence.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
51Degrees social profiles
Digital presence51Degrees compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
51Degrees financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
51Degrees leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
51Degrees funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
51Degrees M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 51Degrees
What does 51Degrees do?
51Degrees provides a real-time device and location data intelligence platform delivered through its open-source Pipeline API. The platform aggregates four core data services — Device Detection, IP Intelligence, Geolocation, and TAC Intelligence — into a single API request, deployed via cloud or on-premise, and is used by AdTech, e-commerce, publishers, and brands in over 1.5 million websites and platforms.
Is 51Degrees a public or private company?
51Degrees is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 51Degrees founded?
51Degrees was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 51Degrees based?
51Degrees is headquartered in Reading, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does 51Degrees make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Subscription - Cloud is the primary driver. The others are subscription - On-premise, freemium Tier and license Keys.
Who are 51Degrees's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DeviceAtlas, ScientiaMobile (WURFL), MaxMind, IPinfo, Digital Element (NetAcuity) and IP2Location. Emerging players are Fingerprint, ID5 and Semcasting. LiveRamp is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does 51Degrees have an API?
Yes. 51Degrees offers a cloud API and on-premise API. Cloud users access via Resource Keys through cloud.51degrees.com with JSON responses; on-premise users access via License Keys. The API supports multiple programming languages including C# (.NET/NuGet), Java (Maven), PHP (Composer), Node.js (NPM), Python, and C/C++ for native performance. Both deployment models deliver device detection, IP intelligence, geolocation, and TAC intelligence data via the Pipeline API microservices aggregation platform. The V4 JSON cloud endpoint at /api/v4/json provides signed OWID envelopes for the 51Did identifier. SDKs are open-source and freely available via GitHub (github.com/51Degrees). Developer documentation is at 51degrees.com/documentation.
What industry is 51Degrees in?
51Degrees's product category is Device Intelligence Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEABAD, Data Platform (Unified Data & Analytics) Suites, with a secondary code of HDAAALAE, Dataset Discovery, Marketplaces & Licensing. Its NAICS code is 51821 and its SIC code is 7370.