US says Google saw ad startup as a 'threat' - and bought it

The U.S. Justice Department argues that Google’s acquisition of AdMeld exemplifies ‘killer acquisitions’ aimed at eliminating competition in the online ad market.

Following the purchase of DoubleClick, Google’s internal team dismissed the relevance of yield management tools, recognizing them as an obstacle to maximizing ad inventory on its platform.

Google acquired AdMeld for over $400 million; however, the technology was integrated into its ad exchange and the product was ultimately shut down two years later.

In a 2010 email, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan indicated that Google had underestimated the threat posed by yield management companies, highlighting internal concerns about potential competition.

Read at Miami Herald