Programmatic job advertising leader transforms recruitment marketing landscape with strategic acquisition.

Appcast, the global leader in programmatic recruitment advertising technology and services, and its parent company The Stepstone Group announced today their acquisition of recruitment marketing pioneer, Bayard Advertising. This strategic acquisition combines Appcast's award-winning programmatic technology with Bayard's full-service recruitment marketing capabilities, significantly expanding Appcast's offerings to optimize companies' entire recruitment marketing processes. With the addition of Bayard, The Stepstone Group reinforces its position in the world's largest recruiting market.

The combined company will serve more than 2,000 customers with hiring needs across the U.S. and 10 major international markets.

Julian Deutz, CFO Axel Springer SE: "Axel Springer focused early on digital classifieds as a cornerstone of the digital future of media. Our classifieds are an integral part of our growth strategy, and The Stepstone Group's entry into the US market has already been a success story. Since we acquired the majority in Appcast in 2019, the company has rapidly grown in the market. The acquisition of Bayard will now greatly expand Appcast's reach and impact."

Chris Forman, Founder & CEO of Appcast: "Bayard is the trusted recruitment marketing partner to some of the world's best-known brands. Bayard's deep well of talent and comprehensive solution set will expand, accelerate, and improve Appcast's ability to solve complex recruitment marketing challenges for leading employers around the globe. Clients will benefit from a data-driven, source-agnostic approach that combines the best of both companies."

Bayard's people and operations will be fully integrated into Appcast by the end of 2023.