Purch Acquires AnandTech, Dominates Tech Expert and Enthusiast Market

Leading content and commerce company adds respected mobile, computing, and IT reviews site to its brand portfolio

NEW YORK, NY (December 17, 2014) – Purch today announced the acquisition of AnandTech.com, a leader in mobile, computing and IT analysis and reviews. Purch’s industry-leading combination of high-quality content and integrated commerce experiences makes complex buying decisions easy for more than 100 million consumers and professionals monthly. With the acquisition of AnandTech, Purch furthers its mission to simplify purchase decisions for in-market tech consumers by adding one of the most popular computer components, hardware, and mobile reviews sites to a brand portfolio that already includes category heavyweight, Tom’s Hardware.

AnandTech has been at the forefront of the technological evolution, providing groundbreaking reviews and trend coverage of cutting-edge mobile and computing products since Anand Shimpi, one of the tech industry’s most authoritative and respected figures, founded it in 1997 at age 14.

“AnandTech has grown by leaps and bounds over the past several years, but we were nearing what’s possible as an independent company,” said Ryan Smith, editor-in-chief, AnandTech. “The challenge has always been that there are very few players in the publishing space these days who value deep, high-quality content. We wanted a partner that understood our values, had a sound business model to ensure AnandTech’s legacy would continue for years to come, and would allow us to grow and expand our readership without compromising the quality that made us who were are today. Purch provides all of these things. I am beyond excited about what we’ll be able to do with their support.”

“The addition of AnandTech to a brand portfolio that includes Tom’s Hardware, Tom’s Guide, and Top Ten Reviews unquestionably establishes Purch as the dominant provider of in-depth, quality technology content, serving technology buyers who want to ensure the value of their potential investments,” said Greg Mason, CEO, Purch. “Technology manufacturers, too, can be assured that their messages will reach any serious buyer. The two editorial teams represent the finest, most expert group of content talent in the technology space. ”

“AnandTech represents much of my life’s work over the past 18 years,” said Anand Shimpi, founder, AnandTech. “I am happy to see it end up with a partner committed to taking good care of the brand and its readers. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Purch offers brands and advertisers unmatched reach to tens of millions of discerning in-market tech consumers and professionals each month. These tech “enthusiasts” look to the kind of detailed research, benchmark testing, and advice from category experts during their buying process for which Tom’s Hardware and AnandTech are known. Readers trust that advice because it is backed by nearly two decades of testing every mobile and PC component imaginable, and is supported by unprecedented input and guidance from the biggest, passionate community of like-minded enthusiasts.

Purch’s acquisition of AnandTech is the company’s most recent move in a series of strategic acquisitions and partnerships aimed at furthering its mission to ease complex buying decisions for shoppers and deliver branding and performance results to advertisers. In 2013, the company acquired the renowned “Tom’s” brand of tech media sites and, earlier this year, purchased BuyerZone, the leading online marketplace for SMB buyers and sellers. Purch’s ability to trigger buying decisions in an array of product categories is evidenced by the more than 7,000 marketers and sellers that come to Purch to connect with ready-to-buy consumers. Each year, Purch’s content-commerce combination drives more than one billion dollars in commerce transactions.

In addition to the acquisition, Purch is now the number one technology publisher in the U.S., [1] with a global readership of more than 100 million monthly unique visitors.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

To find out more about Purch, visit www.purch.com or follow the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

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About Purch

Purch is a portfolio of digital brands and services that helps make complex buying decisions easy for 100 million consumers monthly. Its respected sites such as Top Ten Reviews, Tom’s Guide, Tom’s Hardware, and Live Science natively integrate commerce and content in more than 1000 product categories so consumers can make better choices before, during, and after an important purchase.

The company helps marketers achieve their branding and performance objectives in a high-quality, brand-safe context. Its sites connect in-market shoppers with more than 7,000 marketers and sellers, driving industry-leading conversion rates and $1 billion in commerce transactions annually.

Purch is a high-growth, privately held company with more than 350 employees and offices across the U.S. and Europe.

For more information on Purch, visit www.purch.com or follow the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

[1] Source: comScore U.S. Media Metrix, Tech-News category ranking by unique visitors, PC audience, September 2014

AnandTech Acquired By Purch
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  • Moricon - Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - link

    YOU ARE KIDDING!!!

    No seriously, you are kidding right?

    Toms Hard Ware - Sister to TOMS HARD WARE, that crap filled ad ridden tracker infested excuse of a so called tech site ( as of today Toms Hardware Home Page alone connects to 107 third party sites, 107, yes that's ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN connections to third parties on ONE PAGE!).

    Oh Dear RIP Anandtech it was fun whilst it lasted. you are oficially removed from my Favorites, good luck and well done on selling out down the road to junk status in the community!
  • Peter Witt - Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - link

    "I'll be getting off at Southampton, Darlings. I'll be catching a later voyage to New York on some other ship. Happy sailing!"
  • npp - Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - link

    I can't help noticing how often the term "ads" pops up in previous staff comments. Better ads, more editors, more quality. Go check silent pc review, they haven't even reskinned the site for quite a while, and still remain the de facto standard in the field they explore. Owners, ads, opportunities, leave this bs for those who care, which is not the (majority of the) people that praise anandtech for its quality. I really liked the donut theory comment above, says it all.

    Ultimately as a user I don't decide which ads I get, or which crap company buys one of the best tech sites on the internet, I decide whether to visit the site or not. I wasn't sold on all the talk about how Anand leaving the site is actually a good thing. I'm not sold on "being owned by a bigger is better", either. If the site declines, I'll stop coming back. What's wrong with you people, wanting to turn every decent site out there into a freakin cash machine.
  • Impulses - Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - link

    It's relatively easy for Silent PC to remain at the top of their game when they cover such a laser focused niche tho... I like the way AT's content has expanded, specially over the last six years, but it was always clear they lacked the resources and man hours to do ALL they really wanted (whether it was review more phones, more enterprise stuff, have more gear on hand for comparisons, etc).

    I'm cautiously optimistic, they've earned that much IMO, even if I won't touch THG with a ten foot pole.
  • dannoddd - Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - link

    Congrats Anandtech, I hope it works out in the best possible way for you guys. Anandtech is one of the top sites around and I trust you'll continue to push top notch articles and reviews. People always freak and overreact to change. For those of you panicking, just realize the full disclosure at this point in the venture shows the ongoing character that has caused us to trust this crew in the first place. I hope to see the site expand and for all of you to benefit professionally and personally.
  • dstarr3 - Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - link

    Oh no. Tom's Hardware is such shit. I don't want Anandtech to turn to shit, too. :-(
  • yefi - Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - link

    Goodbye.
  • leetruski - Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - link

    The fact that Purch owns Tom's Hardware says everything. Bye Felicia.
  • Yorgos - Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - link

    Bullshit,
    xbitlabs is DEAD,
    Tom's has become a pile of crap,
    AnandTech's been sold to the company that made tom's a pile of crap.
    Phoronix has this irritating dude, but he has a few good things on his site,
    Slashdot is horribly annoying with those new banners, new looks....
    Dailytech lately is being irritating too, I like the stupidity the articles are being written... it's more entertaining to me than irritating.
    TPU, holds still,
    Videocardz is wonderfull,
    Fudzilla is still wonderfull.
    well, there are still sites that offer a descent content.
    There is a shitload of people who could make this site a community driven/funded site, or at least since it has a healthy status it could've been managed/acquired by it's employees, but instead let's take an arrow in the knee and talk business.
    I'm off the ship too.
  • Makaveli - Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - link

    Not like this!

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