Saudi online store builder Salla purchases Sweply, set to debut digital ad platform
In a move to bolster its offerings, Salla, an ecommerce platform provider based in Makkah, has announced the acquisition of Sweply, a digital advertising platform. The acquisition marks a significant step in Salla's growth strategy, with plans to rebrand Sweply as Salla Ads and integrate it as the official advertising solution within Salla's ecosystem.
Founded in 2021 by Ebrahim Saeed and Wael Hassan, Sweply has quickly made a name for itself in the region's digital marketing landscape, serving over 35,000 registered advertisers. The investment round for this acquisition was led by Investcorp, with participation from Sanabil Investment and STV.
Nawaf Hariri, CEO of Salla, commented on the acquisition, stating that it is a testament to their long-term vision of providing innovative and seamless solutions that empower merchants. With the integration of Salla Ads, Salla's future integrated service offering is expected to provide a comprehensive, all-in-one advertising and marketing solution tailored for its e-commerce platform users.
Key elements of this future offering could include:
- Unified Ad Management: Allowing Salla merchants to build and control advertising campaigns seamlessly without leaving the platform, covering social media, search engines, and display ads.
- Data-Driven Targeting and Analytics: Leveraging Sweply’s technology to provide robust targeting options and real-time analytics to optimize ad spend and increase return on investment.
- Simplified User Experience: Streamlining the ad creation process with guided workflows and integration with merchants’ product catalogs, making marketing accessible to a wider range of sellers regardless of marketing expertise.
- End-to-End Marketing Support: Potential inclusion of additional services like audience insights, campaign automation, and budget recommendations, creating a full-service marketing suite within Salla’s ecosystem.
By integrating Sweply as Salla Ads, Salla aims to empower its merchants with enhanced advertising tools to drive more traffic, increase sales, and grow their businesses efficiently through a one-stop digital commerce and marketing platform. It's important to note that Sweply offers monthly subscriptions for businesses, ranging from $8 to $160.
Salla itself was founded in 2016 by Nawaf Hariri and Salman Butt, and recently raised a $130 million pre-IPO investment round in March 2024. This acquisition is a strategic step toward building a sophisticated advertising ecosystem, enabling sellers to fully capitalize on cutting-edge marketing tools. The rebranding and integration of Sweply as Salla Ads are expected to be completed in the coming months.
The acquisition of Sweply by Salla signifies a strategic step in incorporating advanced technology, as Salla Ads will be born from the integration, acting as the official advertising solution within Salla's ecosystem. With unified ad management, data-driven targeting and analytics, simplified user experience, and end-to-end marketing support, Salla's future offering promises a comprehensive, all-in-one advertising and marketing solution, empowering merchants with enhanced advertising tools to drive growth efficiently.
