Mondadori Digital is strengthening the offering of its MarTech hub with the merger of Hej! into the digital company AdKaora. The transaction represents a strategic step forward for both businesses, which come together as a single operating entity and a market leader, driven by a highly specialised technology hub offering full-funnel digital solutions: from brand awareness and lead generation through to final conversion.

“With this operation we are completing a strategic integration journey that has, over the years, proven its effectiveness in terms of results and innovation,” said Andrea Santagata, CEO of Mondadori Digital. “The merger of Hej! into AdKaora further consolidates the positioning of our MarTech hub, which today generates more than €40 million in combined revenues across Italy and LATAM, thanks to a full-funnel offering that brings together creativity, technology, data and performance. From this virtuous integration emerges a digital ecosystem that enhances the value of each individual asset, setting new benchmarks for effectiveness and performance in the MarTech landscape,”,’ Santagata concluded.

The new AdKaora, with operations in Italy and Spain, brings together a team of more than 80 industry professionals, led by Davide Tran as CEO and Paolo De Santis, COO and Co-founder of Hej!, who has been appointed Co-CEO of AdKaora.

“The integration of AdKaora and Hej! under a single brand is the natural outcome of years of shared successes, and having Paolo De Santis alongside me in leading this new organisation reflects our strong commitment to continuity,” said Davide Tran, MarTech Hub Director at Mondadori Digital and CEO of AdKaora. “Today we no longer offer simply complementary products, but a single digital ecosystem in which creativity, data and technology work together to guide users throughout the entire funnel. AI plays a central role in this evolution, with Hej! remaining the cornerstone of our performance offering. Our goal is to further strengthen our position as the partner of choice for innovation in marketing and communications, delivering effective and distinctive solutions for our clients. In the first quarter alone, we already have several new products in the pipeline, spanning both awareness and performance, as we continue to evolve and differentiate ourselves in the market,” Tran concluded.

“By bringing teams and expertise together, we are building something truly new, grounded in very solid foundations. For us, bringing people together has always come before merging companies, as from the very beginning we have shared the same principles and the same vision of the world and of business. This deep alignment results in a genuine cross-pollination of ideas and know-how, creating the fertile ground from which our next wave of products, services and innovation will grow”, said Paolo De Santis, Co-Managing Director of AdKaora.

THE STRENGTHS OF THE NEW ADKAORA

The new AdKaora is built on three key pillars:

1. technological evolution: the sharing of technological infrastructures accelerates the development of proprietary solutions and the integration of increasingly advanced artificial intelligence systems;
2. data enhancement: the integration of databases and analytical capabilities enables even more granular user profiling, transforming data into predictive value for campaigns and into measurable, tangible results;
3. optimisation of operational workflows: the unification of internal processes allows for a faster, more comprehensive and more consultative response to market needs.

In this context, Hej! retains its strong identity as a best-in-class product line and as a specialised technology arm focused on AI and Conversational Marketing.

ADKAORA’S NEW ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

AdKaora ‘s new organisational structure brings together, under a single strategic vision, specialised expertise designed to enhance the company’s ability to bring integrated, data-driven technological solutions to market. Reporting directly to CEO Davide Tran, the team includes key roles with cross-functional responsibilities, including:

• Stefano Argiolas (Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at AdKaora and Mondadori Digital), responsible for steering strategic development and product innovation, with a specific focus on leveraging AI as a competitive driver across the entire Mondadori Digital ecosystem;
• Paolo Ingrosso (Chief Revenue Officer), responsible for revenue growth, commercial activities and relationships with clients and agencies;
• Francesco Binetti (Chief Operating Officer – Supply), leading operational management and supply-side development, with a focus on the monetisation of advertising inventory for national and international publishers;
• Walter Ferrari (Chief Marketing Officer), responsible for coordinating marketing strategies, communication and events;
• Luca Nigro (CEO AdKaora Iberia) and Gonzalo Guzman (Co-CEO AdKaora Iberia), leading business development and commercial strategy in the Iberian markets, as well as the expansion of the international publishing network.