Mobvista is a leading mobile technology company that provides a complete suite of advertising and analytics tools for app developers and marketers seeking global growth. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Mobvista’s VP of Global Partnerships Greg Castro to learn more about the company.
Greg Castro’s Background
Castro has over 20 years of experience in tech and over half of that time in digital advertising technology companies. Castro said:
“The types of companies I’ve worked for include publishers, programmatic platforms, and SaaS platforms, including Yahoo, AOL, Amobee, Celtra, and, now, Mobvista. I’ve worked across various roles, including business development, customer success (account management), customer support, sales, and operations.”
“Mobvista is a leading mobile technology company providing a complete suite of advertising and analytics tools for app developers and marketers seeking global growth. Providing a range of tailored solutions, such as user acquisition, monetization, analytics, creative automation, and cross-channel media buying, Mobvista enables mobile businesses to maximize their potential. I’ve joined the company as the VP of Global Partnerships, which is a new role and a new department for the company.”
“My team manages all the major tech partnerships, including companies like Google and Amazon. This team also works with the top mobile measurement platforms, like AppFlyer, Adjust, and Tenjin. However, we are also responsible for building and delivering the go-to-market strategy for our SaaS platforms and overall international expansion strategy.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for Mobvista so far? Castro reflected:
“It’s tough to choose just one memory, as it’s been a delightful start to my tenure at Mobvista. However, one of my favorite memories was how it all started. My first day at Mobvista was the first day of the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2023 in San Francisco.”
“My first three days with the company were meeting people from across the globe, including fellow employees, existing clients/partners, and prospective clients/partners. I spent most of my time in our booth at the conference, which provided me with significant hands-on experience as I heard the ways our business leaders speak about the ways we help app developers maximize growth/revenue.”
Core Products
What are Mobvista’s core products and features? Castro explained:
“Mobvista and its sub-brands offer a diverse suite of products and features tailored for the digital marketplace. Mintegral, part of the Mobvista Group, is a data-driven programmatic advertising platform focused on user acquisition, monetization, and creative services, boasting high ROI through advanced big data and machine learning. Nativex, our digital marketing agency, encompasses everything from user acquisition to influencer marketing and media buying, with extensive access to global media platforms.”
“Another key product is XMP, crafted for app marketers; it serves as an integrated tool for user acquisition, offering a cross-channel dashboard, in-depth data analysis, and creative management that integrates seamlessly with major platforms like Google and TikTok. Diving deeper into the creative realm, Mindworks, our creative agency, specializes in crafting engaging ads, while TopWorks provides a global studio network emphasizing localized video ads. Lastly, the Playturbo creative production platform streamlines the design process with tools to build playable and video ads.”
Evolution Of Mobvista’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Castro noted:
“Our journey began with a regional focus in Asia, but our vision quickly expanded to meet global demands, including North America and Europe. As the digital landscape became more complex, we recognized the need to transition from being an ad network to offering comprehensive solutions that address the full spectrum of advertising and marketing challenges.”
“The convergence of AdTech and MarTech in our offerings has resulted in a suite of platforms, including machine learning, which has become a cornerstone of our tech stack. Allowing app developers and marketers to gain actionable insights, refine strategies in real-time, and achieve unparalleled engagement and conversion rates. Today, Mobvista’s technology bridges gaps in the industry and continuously adapts to the ever-changing needs of the global digital ecosystem.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Castro cited:
“Mobvista’s journey since its inception in 2013 has been remarkable. Founded that year, we quickly marked a pivotal moment in 2014 by securing a $12 million Series A financing, notably backed by NetEase. Fast forward to 2016, it was a transformative period where we introduced Mintegral, our dedicated programmatic advertising platform, and strategically expanded by acquiring Nativex and GameAnalytics. By 2018, we were proudly listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (recognized under the stock code HK:01860). As we entered 2020, innovation remained at our core; we rolled out XMP, our one-stop, intelligent, cross-channel media buying platform, and Playturbo, our creative automation platform for playable ads. Emphasizing our commitment to the community, we open-sourced the Mintegral SDK. The following year, 2021, saw us both acquiring Reyun and launching the SolarEngine platform. Through these years, with each milestone, we’ve embraced challenges, celebrated triumphs, and remained excited and optimistic about the road ahead.”
Revenue Information
After asking Castro about the company’s revenue information, he revealed:
“Mobvista has continued to perform exceptionally well. In H1 2023, the company reported a revenue of $506 million, an 11% increase from the previous year. Additionally, the net revenue saw a robust growth of 22.7% year-over-year (YoY), standing at $136 million.”
“A standout figure is the adjusted EBITDA, which soared to $51.8 million, marking a dramatic YoY increase of 789.5%. On the liquidity front, our operating cash flow witnessed a substantial hike, registering at $48 million, up by 105.7% compared to the prior year; in terms of our business units, Mintegral, our programmatic advertising platform, was particularly impressive. It generated revenues of $467.8 million, an increase of 13.9% YoY.”
Partnership Impact
After asking Castro about partnerships that have positively impacted the company, he highlighted:
“Our strategic partnerships greatly enhance Mobvista’s success and industry standing. Our alliances with ad mediation giants like Google AdMob and AppLovin Max have amplified our ad delivery capabilities, ensuring our clients achieve optimal reach and engagement. Additionally, our collaboration with Amazon’s AWS through the SpotMax product showcases our commitment to technological innovation. SpotMax is a cloud cost optimization tool designed to significantly enhance the efficiency of enterprises’ cloud infrastructure, leading to notable cost savings.”
“Further strengthening our global outreach, Nativex, one of our prominent subsidiaries, has official partnerships with leading global media channels, including TikTok, Meta, and Google. These partnerships allow us to connect with vast audiences worldwide, ensuring our clients’ campaigns resonate across various demographic and geographic landscapes. These collaborations have been instrumental in cementing Mobvista’s leadership in the digital advertising domain.”
Client Focus
What types of clients does the company primarily serve? Castro replied:
“Mobvista predominantly serves app developers, spanning both the gaming and non-gaming sectors. Historically, Mintegral’s expertise has been rooted in the gaming industry, especially within the hypercasual genre. However, recently, we’ve broadened our reach, catering to midcore games and non-gaming app categories, such as content, social media, e-commerce, utilities, and more. Beyond app developers, our clientele has been diversifying to include brand clients.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Castro concluded:
“As Mobvista continues its journey, we are setting ambitious goals that align with rapid technological advancements. One of our primary objectives is to harness the power of machine learning and its disciplines, such as large language models, to enhance our advertising strategies, ensuring that our content remains contextually relevant, persuasive, and engaging across diverse markets.”
“Central to our innovation is our exploration of AIGC for mobile ad creatives. The digital advertising landscape is increasingly saturated, making it imperative for brands to stand out. AIGC offers a solution by enabling the creation of tailored ad content at scale. Through machine learning algorithms, we can analyze vast datasets of user interactions and preferences to generate ad content that is not only visually appealing but also contextually resonant.”
“Ads can be personalized to individual users or specific audience segments, optimizing engagement rates. Additionally, with the rapid pace of trends in the mobile space, AIGC can adapt and iterate on creatives in real time, ensuring that campaigns remain fresh and relevant. On other technological frontiers, computer vision stands out, enabling us to analyze visual content deeply and ensuring that our ad placements are not just relevant but also visually appealing. Complementing this is our focus on Natural Language Processing (NLP). Beyond mere translation, NLP captures cultural nuances, making our ads resonate more deeply with diverse audiences.”
