Retailads Gmbh & Co. Kg

What Retailads Gmbh & Co. Kg does

retailAds GmbH & Co. KG is a German specialized performance marketing network exclusively focused on the online retail/e-commerce vertical. Founded in 2009 as 'retailerweb' and rebranded in 2019, the company operates from Nuremberg and has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of the verticalAds Group since January 2018 under founder and Managing Director Ralf Fischer. retailAds connects e-commerce advertisers with publishers (coupon sites, price comparison platforms, content sites, influencers, display/retargeting operators) through affiliate marketing on a pure performance basis, offering Pay per Sale, Pay per Lead, Pay per Click, Pay per Call, Pay per View, and Pay per Period commission models. The company monetizes primarily via a 30% network commission on publisher payouts, with merchants prepaying into a virtual transaction account and publishers accessing the platform for free.

The core technology is the proprietary verticalAds platform developed and owned by the parent group, which provides three secure 1st-party tracking methods using pseudonymized identifiers, a Feedpilot product feed management tool with automated optimization logic, customizable Vergleichsrechner (comparison calculators and tables), an integrated influencer marketing module with Künstlersozialkasse fee handling, APIs for product/coupon/conversion data, and basket-level, category-level, and multi-touch attribution. The network operates localized versions across 13+ European countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, UK, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Czechia, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden) and is supported by a certified agency partner channel (Avantgarde PMC, Hearts & Science, Projecter, GearUP, Artefact, MAI xpose360, ONLINE UNITED, sunnysales, TRG, diva-e).

Go-to-market combines a sales-led motion with dedicated personal account managers for advertisers and publishers, a self-serve PLG publisher registration flow, and agency-led program management. The advertiser base includes Marc O'Polo, HelloFresh, Krombacher, Waterdrop, tectake, Conrad, Camp David Soccx, Burnhard, Vangraaf, ANSON'S, Springlane, Securando, and Koffer.de; publisher partners include COUPONS.de, Gutscheinrausch.de, Global Savings Group, guenstiger.de, and fashionhype.com. retailAds holds BVDW Affiliate Marketing and Content Marketing Code of Conduct certifications and participates in the IAB Europe Transparency & Consent Framework (ID 819), and operates as part of the broader verticalAds Group which employs 230+ staff across 9 offices in Europe and Latin America.

Name

Retailads Gmbh & Co. Kg

Legal name

retailAds GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://retailads.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

retailAds GmbH & Co. KG is a German specialized performance marketing network connecting e-commerce advertisers with publishers through affiliate marketing on a pure pay-per-result basis, operating across 13+ European countries as part of the verticalAds Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affiliate Marketing Network (Performance Marketing)

akta.pro primary industry

Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Price Comparison/Aggregator Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAI), Shopper & Retail Insights (In-Store/Path-to-Purchase, Category Insights) (MPAAALAJ)

Keywords

• Affiliate marketing network
• Performance marketing platform
• E-commerce affiliate programs
• Product feed management
• Publisher advertising network

Headquarters

HQ city

Nuremberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Affiliate Commission (Network Fee): retailAds charges a network commission of 30% on publisher commissions. When total commissions are agreed upon rather than publisher-level commissions, the total commission increases by the 30% network fee on the publisher payouts. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Performance-Based Advertising Fees: Merchants pay for new customer acquisition on a pure performance basis — Pay per Sale, Pay per Lead, Pay per Click, Pay per Call, Pay per View, or Pay per Period. No upfront costs for publishers; merchants prepay into a virtual transaction account.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

retailAds is a specialized performance/affiliate marketing network for online shops, connecting e-commerce advertisers (Marc O'Polo, HelloFresh, Krombacher, Conrad, Waterdrop, tectake, etc.) with a curated portfolio of publishers (websites, apps, coupon/deal sites, price comparison, newsletters, social media, influencers, display) on a pay-per-result basis. The platform provides proprietary 1st-party tracking, retail-specific tools (Feedpilot product feed management, comparison calculators, influencer marketing), partner program management, and APIs for product, coupon, and conversion data across 13+ European markets.

Product overview

retailAds is a specialized performance network for online shops, operating as part of the verticalAds Group. The core offering is the retailAds Platform, which provides affiliate marketing services connecting advertisers with publishers. Supporting products include Feedpilot for product feed management, Influencer Marketing services, and proprietary tools such as comparison calculators and 1st-party tracking technology. The platform offers various commission models (Pay per Sale, Pay per Lead, Pay per Click) and features APIs for product, coupon, and conversion data integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• retailAds Platform Core specialized performance/affiliate marketing network platform for online shops (e-commerce), connecting advertisers with publishers and offering 1st-party tracking, comparison calculators, product feed management, and partner program tools.
• Feedpilot Performance-based product feed management solution for advertisers, enabling creation and management of unlimited master feeds and individual partner feeds, with automated optimization logics, partner-level performance measurement, product-level optimization, and partner billing through retailAds.
• Influencer Marketing Data-based influencer marketing service including adapted performance measurement for in-app traffic, coupon redemption tracking, expert consultation, coordination and execution, detailed reporting (clicks, transactions, revenue, ROAS), and single invoicing including KSK (Künstlersozialkasse) fee management.
• Vergleichsrechner (Comparison Calculators) Free comparison calculators, tables, and product finders that publishers can embed on their websites or mobile applications for flexible individual integrations with customizable layout options and automatic content generation.
• 1st-Party Tracking Proprietary 1st-party tracking technology with three secure tracking methods for accurate and fraud-resistant conversion measurement, including basket and category tracking, attribution solutions, and app tracking.
• Partnerprogramme (Partner Programs) The affiliate/advertiser programs available on the network, connecting online shops with publishers for performance-based marketing across various commission models including Pay per Sale, Pay per Lead, Pay per Click, and Pay per View.

Quantifiable outcome

• Publishers can earn commissions on sales (e.g., 3-14% per sale depending on advertiser), leads (e.g., €0.25-50 per lead), or clicks.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• verticalAds GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018retailAds has been part of the verticalAds Group since January 2018. The verticalAds Group is the parent company providing the proprietary verticalAds platform technology and shared resources. The group includes sister companies communicationAds (telecom/energy/streaming) and financeAds (banking/insurance) and operates 9 branches with 230+ experts across Europe and Latin America.
• communicationAdsminorOthersSister affiliate network under the verticalAds Group, specializing in the energy, telecommunications, and streaming sectors. communicationAds won the Gründerszene Growth Award in 2018 as Germany's fastest growing digital company.
• financeAdsminorOthersSister affiliate network under the verticalAds Group, specializing in banking and insurance. Named Best Affiliate Network Europe in 2016. Has worked with clients including Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, DKB, ING-DiBa, O2, and Vodafone.
• KwankominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal affiliate network within the verticalAds Group ecosystem, with strong market presence in France and Portugal. Part of the group's global network strategy for international campaign expansion.
• Avantgarde PMCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPerformance marketing and data analytics agency. Certified retailAds partner managing international affiliate programs for retail advertisers. Specializes in international performance marketing, digital ROI building, and brand development.
• Hearts & SciencecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPart of Omnicom Media Group, Hearts & Science is a leading performance marketing agency with expertise across SEA, SEO, Social, Affiliate, Data Analytics, Amazon, Marketplace, Native, and Digital Media. Operates affiliate programs for e-commerce clients with proprietary in-house tools developed with their development team.
• ProjectercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFull-service affiliate marketing agency with over 10 years of experience. Manages the full affiliate lifecycle from strategy development to publisher recruitment, operations, reporting, and analysis. Offers an Affiliate Marketing ebook as a knowledge resource.
• GearUP PerformancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOwner-led affiliate performance agency providing affiliate partner program management with individual analyses, KPI reports, exclusive collaborations, and strong networking capabilities across affiliates and technology partners.
• ArtefactcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal agency treating partnerships and affiliate marketing as a data-driven ecosystem. Provides data scientist-led strategies for affiliate management, publisher recruitment, dynamic commission modeling, international expansion management, and advanced attribution logic.
• MAI xpose360coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational digital performance marketing agency since 2009 with 95+ certified online marketing experts. Specializes in Affiliate Marketing, Inbound Marketing, Paid Media, Digital Analytics, Influencer Marketing, and digital strategy consulting. Hosts events including the AffiliateBLOG Breakfast.
• ONLINE UNITEDminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital marketing experts specializing in international affiliate marketing expansion. Over a decade of experience with trained specialists helping clients succeed in various European markets with individualized consulting and state-of-the-art strategies.
• sunnysalesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor100% affiliate marketing focused agency since 2001. Offers personal, handcrafted, and focused consulting for partner program management. Describes itself as a small online marketing agency but a big affiliate agency.
• TRGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate management agency with 17 years of experience managing affiliate partner programs based on trust, appreciation, and honesty. Focuses on strategy & consulting, action and publisher management, and operational affiliate management.
• diva-eminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital agency providing affiliate marketing management for retailAds advertisers. Manages campaigns, handles publisher relationships, and provides reporting and optimization services.
• Ralf Fischer (Managing Director)coreOthersRalf Fischer is the Managing Director (Geschäftsführer) of retailAds and its parent company verticalAds Retail Verwaltungs-GmbH. He founded financeAds in 2006 (specialized affiliate network for the financial sector), communicationAds in 2014 (affiliate network for the communications sector), and acquired retailAds (formerly retailerweb) in January 2018. He won the Gründerszene Growth Award in 2018.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• communicationAds: communicationAds is the sister affiliate network within verticalAds Group, focused on telecom, energy, and streaming advertisers. It shares technology and infrastructure with retailAds but serves an adjacent, non-overlapping vertical.
• financeAds: financeAds is the sister affiliate network within the verticalAds Group, serving financial services (banks, insurance) advertisers. It uses the same verticalAds platform and 1st-party tracking technology as retailAds but addresses a non-overlapping vertical.

Direct peers

• tradeDoubler: tradeDoubler is a European-headquartered affiliate network with strong DACH presence and a focus on retail and e-commerce programs. It competes with retailAds in the same German-speaking and broader European retail advertiser market.
• Webgains: Webgains is a European affiliate marketing network (part of ad pepper media) with a retail-heavy advertiser base. It serves as a direct competitor for the same retail programs and shopping publishers.
• Daisycon: Daisycon is a European affiliate network headquartered in the Netherlands, with a strong presence in retail, shopping, and comparison publishers. It is comparable to retailAds in vertical focus and European market coverage.
• Belboon: Belboon is a German-headquartered affiliate marketing network with a strong DACH retail advertiser and publisher base. It is a direct regional competitor to retailAds in the German-speaking market.
• Awin: Awin is one of the largest global affiliate marketing networks, with particularly strong retail and e-commerce advertiser relationships across Europe. It competes head-to-head with retailAds for the same European retail advertisers (Marc O'Polo, HelloFresh-class brands) and publishers (coupon, deal, and comparison sites).
• CJ Affiliate: CJ Affiliate (owned by Publicis) is a leading global affiliate network with a deep retail advertiser portfolio and large publisher base. It directly competes for enterprise retail advertisers and the same type of shopping/comparison publishers retailAds serves.
• Partnerize: Partnerize is an affiliate and partnership marketing platform with enterprise retail clients. It competes with retailAds in providing performance-based affiliate technology and tracking infrastructure to retail advertisers.
• Rakuten Advertising: Rakuten Advertising operates a global affiliate network with strong retail heritage through the Rakuten ecosystem. It is a direct competitor for retail advertisers and shopping publishers in the European market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/retailads

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Retailads Gmbh & Co. Kg