http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/31/goo...ires-wildfire/

Google has just bought social marketing software developer Wildfire, which lets brands serve marketing and ad campaigns on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and LinkedIn. Wildfire has grown to 400 employees over the last four years and now serves 16,000 customers. [Update: We've now learned from a source close to Wildfire that the company sold to Google for $350 million plus earnouts and bonuses that could make it $400 million, higher than the $250 million price we and others previously reported.]

The acquisition will allow Google to provide advanced software and services to brands who want to run contests, sweepstakes, branded games and more on Google+. Wildfire will still operate as a marketing tool for brands on Google?s competing platforms, including Facebook, putting the search giant in a curious position where it earns money on the success of its rivals.

Google bid on buying Buddy Media but lost the deal to Salesforce. With Oracle buying other social marketing leaders Vitrue and Involver, Wildfire was the last top-tier startup in the space. Today?s deal leaves ThisMoment, another popular marketing platform, as a possible buy for old-world enterprise juggernauts like IBM or SAP.

Now it?s successfully bought one of Facebook?s biggest marketing partners. [Update: Dave McClure of 500 Startups, an early Wildfire investor, this morning commented here that the $250 million price tag we reported was "substantially lower than actual". Now we've learned from a source close to Wildfire that it was bought by Google for $350 million -- nearly 25 time the $14.1 million it had raised through its Series B. With earnouts and employee bonuses the total price Google pays could be $400 million]
Heath Reviewed by Heath on . Google Acquires Wildfire ($350mil), Will Sell Facebook And Twitter Marketing Services http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/31/google-acquires-wildfire/ Rating: 5