Firstlead

Name

Firstlead

Legal name

Firstlead GmbH

Website

https://adcell.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affiliate Marketing Network

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (541830), Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Affiliate & Partner Marketing (Performance Partnerships) (BPAFACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affiliate Marketing & Partner Networks (BPAMALAI), Affiliate Marketing & Partner Program Management (MPAAACAD)

Keywords

• Affiliate marketing network
• Performance marketing platform
• Partner program network
• Publisher tracking technology
• DACH affiliate network

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Network Commission from Advertiser Sales: ADCELL earns commissions based on sales generated through the affiliate network. Advertisers pay for successful transactions (sales, leads) achieved through publisher referrals. The network operates on a performance-only basis with no setup fees or monthly charges for publishers.
2. Publisher Network Access Fees: No setup fee for partner programs and no monthly network fees for publishers; agency accounts are free. Revenue is generated solely through successful performance transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Firstlead GmbH operates ADCELL, a performance-based affiliate marketing network that connects publishers (websites, influencers, coupon/cashback sites, SEM/SEO operators) with advertisers (online shops and brands) across the DACH region. The platform provides tracking, reporting, commission management, and partner program facilitation for 64,000+ publishers and 2,386 partner programs spanning 23 categories, earning revenue solely through commissions on successful transactions with no setup or monthly fees.

Product overview

Firstlead GmbH operates ADCELL, a unified affiliate marketing network platform that connects publishers (affiliates) with advertisers (partner program operators) for performance-based marketing. The core ADCELL Platform serves as the central hub, complemented by a suite of tools including the Mobile App for iOS/Android, the Affiliate-Dashboard for real-time statistics, 3rd Party Tracking for cross-network tracking, CSV-Mapper for product feed management, Publisher Arena for competitive benchmarking, and a Seasonal Calendar for campaign planning. The platform also offers a public API for developer integrations. Users access over 2,386 partner programs across diverse categories including fashion, shoes, accessories, and lifestyle products. ADCELL operates on a 100% performance-based model with no setup fees for publishers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ADCELL Affiliate Marketing Platform Core affiliate marketing network platform that connects publishers (affiliates such as websites, influencers, coupon/cashback sites, SEM/SEO specialists) with advertisers (online shops and brands) for performance-based marketing. Provides tracking, reporting, and commission management across 2,386+ partner programs in 23 categories, with 64,000+ active publishers.
• ADCELL Mobile App Official mobile application for Android and iOS enabling publishers, advertisers, and agencies to access account statistics in real time, monitor campaigns, and manage affiliate activity on mobile devices.
• ADCELL API Public REST API enabling developers to programmatically access affiliate marketing data, manage partner programs, perform automated tracking and reporting, and integrate ADCELL functionality into third-party applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.95% platform availability
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BVDW (Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003ADCELL is a member of BVDW, the German Digital Economy Association, which strengthens its position in the digital economy and demonstrates commitment to industry standards.
• IAB EuropecoreTechnology or IntegrationADCELL maintains approved status in the IAB Europe Transparency and Consent Framework, enabling standardized consent management for data privacy compliance across the platform.
• HändlerbundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Händlerbund (Merchant Association) provides legal compliance support and resources for the affiliate network.
• DeloitteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerADCELL was recognized in the Deloitte Fast 50 2023 for Technology, Media, and Telecommunications, demonstrating technological excellence and growth.
• OMR (Online Marketing Rockstars)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerADCELL maintains OMR Leader and OMR Top Rated status, participating in OMR events and being recognized in their Top 100 Tools list.
• PerformixxcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerADCELL has won the Performixx Award (2nd place 2025, 1st place 2024) as Best Network and Tracking, recognizing excellence in affiliate marketing.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Belboon: Germany-based affiliate network focused on the DACH market, providing a directly comparable offering of advertiser-partner programs, publisher matchmaking and performance-based commission tracking.
• PerformanceHorizon (now Partnerize): Affiliate and partner marketing platform providing tracking, reporting and partner management tools with comparable functionality and customer overlap in European e-commerce.
• CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction): One of the largest global affiliate networks; overlaps directly with ADCELL in the DACH market by connecting advertisers with publisher partners and providing tracking, reporting and commission management on a performance basis.
• Tradedoubler: European-headquartered affiliate and performance marketing network with a strong DACH operation, offering similar publisher-advertiser matchmaking, tracking technology and performance-based pricing to ADCELL.
• Awin: Global affiliate marketing network headquartered in Europe with a strong DACH presence, directly competing with ADCELL for advertisers and publishers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland across similar partner programs and tracking infrastructure.
• Webgains: European affiliate marketing network offering publishers and advertisers similar functionality — partner programs, tracking, performance pricing — across DACH and broader European markets.
• Rakuten Advertising: Global affiliate network owned by Rakuten; competes directly with ADCELL for the same pool of European advertisers and publishers with comparable performance-based tracking and reporting tools.

Regional players

• Effiliation: France-based affiliate network with European footprint offering similar performance-based advertiser-publisher network services to ADCELL but primarily operating in different national markets.
• Daisycon: Benelux-headquartered affiliate network with growing DACH activity; offers comparable advertiser-publisher network services, tracking technology and performance-based pricing to a similar SMB and mid-market customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Associates: Massive global affiliate program operated by Amazon; competes indirectly for publisher mindshare and advertiser benchmark on commission rates, though structurally distinct (closed vs. open network).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ADCELL
• Facebookfacebook.com/adcell.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adcell-firstlead-gmbh

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Firstlead