Digital content experiences platform provider Contentstack Inc. said today it has acquired the customer data platform startup Lytics Inc. for an undisclosed price.

By acquiring 11-year-old Lytics, Contentstack will be able to integrate the company’s technology, which helps marketers target consumers using real-time engagement data, into its own platform.

Lytics’ CDP is used by companies to aggregate customer data from multiple pipelines, including different internal systems and social media platforms, into a single data repository. By storing these records in one place, they’re easier to find and analyze.

In recent years, Lytics has leaned on Google Cloud’s artificial intelligence capabilities to extend the functions of its CDP, adding tools such as its Schema Copilot, which eases the task of formatting and preparing data as it’s streamed from internal systems to its main repository.

Another AI tool is Lytics’ Audience Generator, which makes it easier to interact with customer data stored in its platform using natural language commands. There’s also a Customer Profile Contextual Chatbot, which is an AI assistant that’s designed to answer questions regarding individual customers.

Lytics targets the retail, consumer packaged goods and media industries, and it boasts an impressive list of customers that includes Universal Music Group, Kraft Heinz Co., Mondelez International Inc., Glassdoor LLC and Live Nation Entertainment Inc. Prior to being acquired, it had raised $58 million in funding, with its most recent $35 million funding round coming in 2019.

Contentstack is the creator of a content management system that’s used by businesses to manage digital content using a backend that’s separate from what’s known as the “presentation layer.” The goal is to enable companies to deliver personalized content and digital experiences to their customers. It does this with a “Headless CMS” platform, where the separation of the backend from the frontend makes it possible to deliver content such as articles, images and videos to any channel, including mobile applications, websites, social media platforms, WordPress blogs, storefronts and so on.

Contentstack founder and Chief Executive Neha Sampat said the marriage of her company’s scalable content management tools and Lytics’ actionable, first-party customer data will enable it to deliver “truly personalized digital experiences.”

“This is why combining Contentstack and Lytics makes so much sense for brands who are building the world’s best digital experiences,” she said.

Voyager Capital Managing Director Erik Benson, who was an early investor in Lytics, said the acquisition was a great result for everyone concerned. “Voyager’s investment thesis was that building a system of engagement for first-party customer data was going to reign supreme over third-party data and retargeting systems prevalent at the time,” he told Geekwire.

According to Contentstack, the acquisition was completed late last month, and sees all 26 of Lytics’ employees join its ranks, including its co-founder and former CEO James McDermott, who is now Contenstack’s global head of data products.

“We have solved a major problem for brands – capturing, connecting and enriching first-party data and making it actionable,” McDermott said. “Ultimately, the vision is to turn data into meaningful digital experiences, but that requires access to content. With Contentstack, we’re now delivering on that vision.”

Image: Contentstack