• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, February 19, 2016

Blog and fashion/lifestyle content site Bloglovin’ has acquired influencer marketing tech platform Sverve for an undisclosed amount.

Bloglovin' said the deal would expand its native advertising offerings for brands and agencies. The firm also said the move would help content creators grow their online followings, while giving brands the opportunity to partner with relevant influencers to reach their target audiences.

Sverve has more than 25,000 active influencers, which via the platform can connect with brands to collaborate on marketing efforts. Bloglovin' has 750,000 blog and content creators focused primarily on the fashion and lifestyle areas.

With the acquisition, Sverve is being rebranded Activate by Bloglovin' as the platform will help activate connections between brands and the Bloglovin’ community. It serves messages and campaigns to target audiences through blogs and social networks such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook among others. Brands are able to track their campaigns through an analytic program and adjust their campaigns in real-time to reach different targets.

Rohit Vashisht, the former CEO of Sverve, will continue to oversee the rebranded platform as president of Activate by Bloglovin'.

“An influencer marketing platform was the natural next step for Bloglovin’,” said company CEO Giordano Contestabile. He indicated that future plans call for expanding the New York-based company’s fashion/lifestyle native advertising business to other sectors, including food and beverage, technology, automotive and consumer goods.