Tapjoy
Acquired4 known investors
Tapjoy operates an in-app rewarded marketplace that connects advertisers with game publishers, enabling users to complete opt-in tasks in exchange for virtual currency and premium content. The platform serves mobile game developers seeking to monetize and acquire users through performance-based advertising.
Also known as TapJoy · Tapjoy from Unity · Tapjoy, Inc.
Investors · 4
Also in the syndicate · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Tapjoy operates an in-app rewarded advertising marketplace, best known as the Tapjoy offerwall, which connects advertisers with mobile game and app publishers. Users opt into ads and complete actions — installs, in-app events, surveys and other tasks — in exchange for virtual currency or access to premium in-app content, while advertisers pay only when a user completes an offer.
On the user acquisition side, the platform offers campaign formats including Cost Per Action, Multi-Reward CPE (multiple actions or events within a single in-app offer) and Daily Rewards for incentivizing repeat sessions, plus per-app bidding based on ROAS data or offerwall position ranking, currency sales promotions offering up to 10x standard rewards, and a self-serve campaign dashboard. On the monetization side, publisher tools include a geo multiplier for setting country-specific virtual currency exchange rates, customizable "message to earn" pop-ups that provide context before directing users to the offerwall, and tiered exchange rates that adjust rewards by spending tier to align offerwall rewards with in-app purchases and limit IAP cannibalization. Historically the company also provided alternative payment solutions for social developers, a turnkey virtual goods storefront for mobile developers, the Social K-Factor cross-platform viral notification channel (formerly SocialKast), the AppStrip cross-app promotion bar and a pay-per-install advertising network across iOS, Android and Facebook.
Business model
Tapjoy sits between two customer groups: advertisers who pay on a performance basis for completed user actions, and app publishers who integrate the Tapjoy SDK/offerwall and share in the revenue generated by rewarded ad engagement. The company also historically offered alternative payment and virtual goods storefront services for social and mobile developers.
Performance-based advertising: advertisers pay only when a user completes an offer (cost per action, cost per engagement, cost per install), with publishers monetizing their apps through the rewarded offerwall alongside in-app purchases.
Traction
More than 5,000 app developers and advertisers were partnered with Tapjoy as of January 2011. By October 2021, the company's SDK was integrated on approximately 66,000 apps reaching over 1.6 billion monthly active users. Published case studies cite results such as Big Fish Games increasing offerwall revenue 96% and IAP ARPDAU 10%, and King exceeding its D7 ROAS goal by 1.5x using Daily Rewards.
Latest developments
ironSource announced in October 2021 that it would acquire Tapjoy for $400 million in cash to expand its advertiser demand and SDK footprint. The offerwall is currently marketed as "Tapjoy from Unity," with features including per-app bidding, currency sales, Daily Rewards, Multi-Reward CPE campaigns, geo multipliers, message-to-earn prompts and tiered exchange rates.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
At its 2011 financing, Tapjoy described itself as a leader in monetization, distribution and publishing services for social and mobile applications, with more than 5,000 developer and advertiser partners. By 2021 its SDK was integrated in approximately 66,000 apps reaching over 1.6 billion monthly active users, and its marketplace was acquired to broaden ironSource's advertiser demand and SDK footprint.
Opt-in, value-exchange advertising in which users choose to engage and advertisers pay only on completed actions, combined with publisher-side controls that let apps tune reward economics by geography and spending tier to complement rather than cannibalize in-app purchase revenue.
Technology
A cross-platform SDK and offerwall integrated into publisher apps, supported by campaign targeting, attribution and reward-verification systems, self-serve advertiser and publisher dashboards, per-app bidding driven by ROAS and offerwall position ranking data, and configurable virtual currency exchange-rate controls (geo multipliers, tiered exchange rates).
Go-to-market
Direct sales and partnerships with large app publishers and advertisers, complemented by a self-serve platform for campaign setup and optimization, published customer case studies, and educational offerwall course content for publishers.
Mobile game and app publishers seeking monetization and user acquisition, and brand and app advertisers seeking engaged users. Named partners and customers have included MY.GAMES, Big Fish Games, King, Glu Mobile, GameDuell, Tapulous, Pinger, Playdom, Kayak, Barnes & Noble, MTV, Bing, Fandango, Groupon, Intuit and Myspace.
Geography
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, with offices reported in Santa Barbara, Boston, London, Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul.
History
Tapjoy was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in San Francisco. In January 2011 it closed a $21 million financing led by Rho Ventures, bringing total funding to more than $40 million, under president and CEO Mihir Shah. In October 2021, under CEO Jeff Drobick, ironSource announced an agreement to acquire Tapjoy for $400 million in cash, expected to close at the end of 2021 or in early 2022. The offerwall product is now presented as Tapjoy from Unity.
Compiled by commissioned research from 5 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Competitors · 4
by search overlap
Companies competing with Tapjoy for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 3
launches, deals, and filingsironSource announced the acquisition of Tapjoy in a deal valued at $400 million in cash, expected to close at the end of 2021 or early 2022. The deal was intended to expand ironSource's SDK footprint and advertiser demand; it was ironSource's seventh acquisition overall and third of 2021 after Soomla and Luna Labs.
$400M source ↗
Tapjoy announced $21 million in financing led by Rho Ventures with participation from existing investors InterWest Partners, North Bridge Venture Partners and D. E. Shaw Ventures, bringing total funding to over $40 million. Rho Ventures managing partner Mark Leschly joined the board of directors.
$21M source ↗
In connection with the $21 million financing, Rho Ventures managing partner Mark Leschly joined Tapjoy's board of directors.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 5
primary sources listed
- Tapjoytapjoy.com · web
5 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Tapjoy do?
- Tapjoy runs an in-app rewarded offerwall marketplace connecting mobile advertisers with game and app publishers.
- Who are Tapjoy's investors?
- Tapjoy's investors include Global Brain, Iconica Partners, Rho Ventures.