AppLovin
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mobile technology, advertising, software |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Adam Foroughi, John Krystynak, Andrew Karam |
| Headquarters | Palo Alto, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Adam Foroughi (CEO) |
| Products | MAX, AppDiscovery, SparkLabs, Lion Studios, Adjust, MoPub |
| Website | www |
AppLovin Corporation is a mobile technology firm based in the United States, with its main office located in Palo Alto, California. Established in 2012, the company offers developers a suite of platforms designed for app marketing, monetization, analytics, and publishing through its advertising and data solutions such as MAX, AppDiscovery, and SparkLabs. Additionally, AppLovin holds substantial stakes in mobile game publishing companies. In 2020, its revenue was almost evenly divided, with approximately 49% generated from software clients and 51% from consumer in-app purchases.
History
The inception of AppLovin dates back to 2012 when it was founded by Adam Foroughi, John Krystynak, and Andrew Karam. Foroughi clarified that the company's name was inspired by Bloglovin', a platform for content curation, rather than the character from Superbad. Operating under the radar until 2014, AppLovin secured $4 million in angel funding from investors including Streamlined Ventures and the Webb Investment Network. Prior to its public emergence, the company had already onboarded clients such as Opentable and Spotify. In October 2014, it expanded by acquiring the German mobile advertising network Moboqo.
In September 2016, AppLovin reached an agreement to be purchased by Chinese private equity firm Orient Hontai Capital for $1.42 billion; however, this transaction was ultimately halted due to concerns raised by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The company achieved rankings of #10 on the Deloitte Fast 500 North America lists in both 2016 and 2018. Furthermore, Foroughi earned a spot on the 2017 San Francisco Business Times "40 Under 40" list.
July 2018 saw AppLovin introduce Lion Studios to focus on mobile game publishing and promotion. The following month, it restructured its convertible note facility originally from Hontai Capital by partnering with U.S.-based credit investors while Hontai maintained a minority equity position. Private equity firm KKR & Co. Inc. invested $400 million for a minority stake. In September 2018, AppLovin acquired MAX, an in-app bidding platform, and formed collaborations with Adjust and Facebook Audience Network to improve monetization options for developers.
In 2019, AppLovin expanded its capabilities by acquiring SafeDK, a solution for managing advertisement quality and app performance. It also made investments in mobile game developers such as PeopleFun, Firecraft Studios, and Belka Games.
Recognized among the Top 50 Mobile Game Makers by Pocket Gamer in 2020, AppLovin further invested in studios Geewa and Redemption Games while acquiring Machine Zone (MZ) during that year.
February 2021 marked the acquisition of mobile app measurement firm Adjust by AppLovin. The company proceeded to file for an initial public offering (IPO) in March 2021 with plans to raise $100 million.
AppLovin debuted on the public market on April 15, 2021, listing on the Nasdaq under the ticker APP at an opening price of $70 per share and achieving a valuation near $24 billion.
On October 6, 2021, AppLovin revealed its intent to acquire MoPub, a mobile monetization business from Twitter, for $1.1 billion; this transaction finalized on January 3, 2022.
In August 2022, AppLovin proposed a stock deal valued at $17.54 billion to purchase Unity Technologies, suggesting Unity CEO John Riccitiello would lead the merged entity. However, Unity's board declined this offer and chose instead to proceed with its merger with ironSource.
By February 2025, AppLovin announced plans to sell off its mobile games development division for $900 million to concentrate exclusively on advertising services. In April of that year, it submitted a bid to acquire TikTok's U.S. operations following government directives requiring TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face prohibition. Subsequently, Tripledot Studios purchased AppLovin's Lion Studios in May 2025 for $800 million.
As of July 2025, Barron's reported that AppLovin's market valuation had reached $123 billion. Later that year in September, it was confirmed that AppLovin would be included in the S&P 500 index starting September 22.
Allegations
On February 26, 2025, the short-selling firm Fuzzy Panda Research publicly accused AppLovin of engaging in ad fraud, unauthorized tracking of minors, and displaying unsuitable advertisements. Later, on October 6, 2025, Bloomberg disclosed that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had initiated an inquiry into AppLovin's methods of data collection.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Companies based in Palo Alto, California
- American companies established in 2012
- Marketing companies established in 2012
- Computer companies established in 2012
- Software companies established in 2012
- Internet properties established in 2012
- 2021 initial public offerings
- Mobile technology companies
- Companies listed on the Nasdaq