WPP Acquires InfoSum to Strengthen AI-Driven Data Offerings

On April 3, 2025, WPP, a leading global advertising and public relations company, announced its acquisition of InfoSum, a data collaboration platform specializing in privacy-enhancing technologies. This strategic move aims to bolster WPP's AI-driven data offerings, providing clients with advanced tools for data-driven marketing in a privacy-compliant manner.

InfoSum's technology enables secure data collaboration without moving or exposing data, allowing companies to connect data sources across the marketing ecosystem. By integrating InfoSum's capabilities with WPP Open—WPP's intelligent marketing operating system—clients can safely unlock the full potential of their customer data, enriched through advanced AI. This integration allows for the rapid building, training, and deployment of custom AI models that utilize diverse datasets, generating insights and audiences instantly, and optimizing campaigns across the entire marketing ecosystem.

As part of the acquisition, InfoSum will join GroupM, WPP's media investment group. Lauren Wetzel, CEO of InfoSum, will continue in her role and also take on the position of Chief Solutions Officer at GroupM, focusing on developing data-driven products and solutions for WPP and GroupM clients.

The financial terms of the deal were not officially disclosed. However, reports suggest that InfoSum was valued at approximately $300 million in 2021. Chrysalis, a lead investor in InfoSum's 2021 funding round, announced a $63 million liquidation of its stake on the same day as the acquisition. Sources indicate that the eventual sale price was approximately $150 million.

Mark Read, CEO of WPP, emphasized the significance of the acquisition, stating, "Bringing InfoSum into WPP is a major step forward for our data capabilities and the results we can deliver for our clients. It allows clients to stay in complete control of their first-party data, while also giving them access to vastly greater quantities of high-quality, privacy-compliant data and pioneering technology that is not available anywhere else in the market today."

Brian Lesser, CEO of GroupM, highlighted the benefits for clients, noting, "Directly integrating InfoSum’s global data network and technology infrastructure will allow our clients to create even more value from their first-party data and enable us to train client AI models against the most data, from the most places, at unprecedented scale and speed."

Lauren Wetzel, CEO of InfoSum, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, saying, "InfoSum’s mission has always been to reimagine how data powers marketing in a secure, privacy-first, and, most importantly, impactful way for advertisers and consumers. WPP and GroupM are the perfect partners to help us accelerate our impact on a truly global scale."

This acquisition reflects WPP's strategic move to bolster its AI and data capabilities, providing clients with advanced tools for data-driven marketing in a privacy-compliant manner. It also positions WPP ahead of competitors in the race for data supremacy, as other major advertising holding companies have made similar moves to strengthen their data capabilities.

The integration of InfoSum's technology into WPP's operations is expected to provide clients with access to a vast network of privacy-safe, actionable data for marketing intelligence, audience targeting, and AI model training. This move comes amid a fundamental shift in the marketing industry, with companies moving away from traditional identity-based solutions that rely on user profiles, towards connecting diverse data sources without centralizing them.

In conclusion, WPP's acquisition of InfoSum marks a significant advancement in the company's AI-driven data offerings, enabling clients to leverage first-party data more effectively while adhering to stringent privacy standards. This strategic move positions WPP at the forefront of the evolving digital advertising landscape, where privacy and data security are becoming increasingly paramount.