• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, August 31, 2007

Since AdECN was snapped up by Microsoft in July, AdBrite now stands as one of the only independent online ad exchanges remaining. But the way things are going, perhaps not much longer. The Microsoft-AdECN deal was preceded by Yahoo's purchase of Right Media (which runs the Right Media Exchange) and Google's acquisition of DoubleClick, which operates its own ad exchange.

If the portal-buying pattern holds, AOL could end up with AdBrite. After all, AOL has already amassed a stable of ad companies including online ad network Advertising.com, mobile ad platform Third Screen Media, and most recently, behavioral ad network Tacoda. AOL might view AdBrite as a nice way to round out its expanding ad empire.

For the time being, AdBrite can tout its independence as a competitive advantage. In a recent report, Gartner media analyst Andrew Frank found that that neutrality remains a significant issue for online ad exchanges in light of the recent acquisitions by portals. But he points out that while AdBrite accounts for 600 million daily impressions on 30,000 sites, "increased competition from well-funded giants may make scale difficult to grow or sustain without a large investment."

AdBrite, co-founded by FuckedCompany founder Philip Kaplan, has received $12 million in venture funding to date led by Sequoia Capital. If Sequoia can find a buyer at the right price without having to invest more capital, that has to be an attractive option for the firm.