• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, September 20, 2012

U.K.-based Mediafed, which makes a platform for managing RSS feeds, has acquired app developer Taptu, best known for its social newsreader app of the same name, for an undisclosed amount. Through the acquisition, Mediafed aims to compete more directly with news aggregator apps, such as Flipboard, Pulse and Zite.
 
The company works with publishers such as BBC, The Economist, Reuters and Hachette Filipacchi to syndicate and monetize their RSS feeds through its own ad network, as well as provide tracking and measurement related to feed content and usage.

Mediafed says its platform monetizes an audience of 125 million from over 1,200 publishing partners globally.
 
The company has also doubled its mobile users in the last three months to 50 million visitors, and the Taptu deal will help accelerate its mobile expansion. Taptu’s newsreader app allows users to pull in streams of content from news sources and social feeds using proprietary mobile search technology. The app is designed so people can “DJ their news” by mixing sources and topics to create customized news streams.
 
Mediafed plans to maintain Taptu as a separate unit and brand, while using its system to help monetize the company’s app. “Our acquisition of Taptu will create the first global platform to monetize RSS across all digital devices,” stated Mediafed CEO Ashley Harrison.
 
Taptu CEO Mitch Lazar said Taptu would benefit from Mediafed’s capability for generating revenue for numerous publishers through its RSS platform and provide "the best experience for our customers and advertising partners."

Lazar, who will take on a board advisory role with the acquisition, said Taptu has about 1 million users across phones and tablets running iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Samsung’s Bada operating system. Taptu, based in Cambridge, England, and Denver, will continue to maintain its offices under the deal, Lazar said.