{{Short description|American advertising technology company}} {{Infobox dot-com company | name = Automate Ads | logo = | screenshot = | company_type = Advertising | founded = 2011 | owner = | founder = Andrew Torba (former CEO), Charles Szymanski (former CTO) | parent = AdHawk | website = {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308144702/https://www.automateads.com/|date=March 8, 2016|title=www.AutomateAds.com}} | native_clients = Facebook, Google | area served = | location = Palo Alto, California }} '''Automate Ads''' (formerly '''Kuhcoon''') was an American advertising technology company that offered products for running and creating advertising campaigns on Google and Facebook.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Ha|first=Anthony|date=2017-10-18|title=AdHawk acquires Automate Ads to improve Google and Facebook ad campaigns|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/18/adhawk-acquires-automate-ads/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018224721/https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/18/adhawk-acquires-automate-ads/|archive-date=2017-10-18|access-date=2020-12-27|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=2015-09-10|title=Automate Ads Launches Automation Tasks To Put Digital Advertising On Autopilot|work=PR Newswire|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/automate-ads-launches-automation-tasks-to-put-digital-advertising-on-autopilot-300140634.html|url-status=live|access-date=2020-12-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022132034/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/automate-ads-launches-automation-tasks-to-put-digital-advertising-on-autopilot-300140634.html|archive-date=2015-10-22}}</ref> The company was founded in 2011 and was acquired by AdHawk in October 2017.
== History == Kuhcoon was co-founded in 2011 by Andrew Torba and Charles Szymanski, who were college roommates at the time, in Scranton, Pennsylvania.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Sullivan|first=Laurie|date=2017-10-19|title=AdHawk Acquires Automate Ads, Without The Negative Vibes|work=Media Post|url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/309008/adhawk-acquires-automate-ads-without-the-negative.html|url-status=live|access-date=2020-12-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514032538/https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/309008/adhawk-acquires-automate-ads-without-the-negative.html|archive-date=2019-05-14}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Dickson|first=Caitlin|last2=Wilson|first2=Christopher|date=2018-10-30|title=Who Is Gab Founder Andrew Torba?|work=HuffPost|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gab-founder-andrew-torba_n_5bd89d70e4b0dee6eececbc5?guccounter=1|url-status=live|access-date=2020-12-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131153224/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gab-founder-andrew-torba_n_5bd89d70e4b0dee6eececbc5?guccounter=1|archive-date=2021-01-31}}</ref><ref name=":37">{{Cite web|last=Lee|first=Micah|date=2021-03-03|title=Donald Trump’s Gab Account Uses an Email Address Belonging to the Extremist Platform’s CEO|url=https://theintercept.com/2021/03/03/gab-donald-trump-email-ceo/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309164705/https://theintercept.com/2021/03/03/gab-donald-trump-email-ceo/|archive-date=2021-03-09|access-date=2021-03-11|website=The Intercept|language=en}}</ref> In October 2011, Torba became CEO of the company.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Gab|url=https://www.startengine.com/gab|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130113341/https://www.startengine.com/gab|archive-date=2020-11-30|access-date=2020-12-27|website=StartEngine}}</ref>
In late 2014, Y Combinator invested in Kuhcoon.<ref name=":0" /> In February 2015, the company claimed it was working with over 6,000 advertisers in over 90 different countries,<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Ha|first=Anthony|date=2015-02-19|title=YC-Backed Kuhcoon Promises To Automate Facebook Ad Campaigns For Small Businesses|work=TechCrunch|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/02/19/yc-backed-kuhcoon-promises-to-automate-facebook-ad-campaigns-for-small-businesses/|url-status=live|access-date=2020-12-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160526145202/http://techcrunch.com/2015/02/19/yc-backed-kuhcoon-promises-to-automate-facebook-ad-campaigns-for-small-businesses|archive-date=2016-05-26}}</ref> said they would soon launch on Google Adwords, and were also planning on launching on Twitter and Pinterest.<ref name=":1" /> Kuhcoon also claimed their focus was on serving small and medium-sized advertising businesses rather than serving big businesses.<ref name=":1" /> On June 25, 2015, the company renamed itself to Automate Ads.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Automate Ads|url=https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_pa/4365645|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210208024310/https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_pa/4365645|archive-date=2021-02-08|access-date=2020-12-27|website=OpenCorporates}}</ref> In August 2016, Torba stepped down as CEO of the company.<ref name=":4" /> That same month, Torba co-founded Gab, an alt-tech social networking service known for its far-right user base, with Ekrem Büyükkaya.<ref name="Wolverton-2018">{{Cite web|last=Wolverton|first=Troy|date=October 27, 2018|title=The suspected Pittsburgh shooter allegedly had a following on a social network that many call the far-right's alternative to Twitter — here's everything we know about Gab|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-gab-2018-10|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828080740/https://www.businessinsider.com/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-gab-2018-10|archive-date=August 28, 2020|access-date=August 15, 2020|website=Business Insider}}</ref>
On October 18, 2017, AdHawk announced that they had acquired Automate Ads for an undisclosed amount.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> According to a press release from AdHawk, no employees from Automate Ads would join AdHawk in the acquisition, but the "underlying technology" from Automate Ads would still be acquired.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> AdHawk also agreed to consult CTO Szymanski to help integrate Automate Ads' technology into AdHawk's advertising platform.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> AdHawk was planning on fully integrating their platform with Automate Ads' platform in the first quarter of 2018.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> According to ''The New Republic'', prior to the acquisition, Automate Ads "nearly shut down".<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|last=Silverman|first=Jacob|date=2021-08-23|title=The CEO Trying to Build a White, Christian, Secessionist Tech Industry|work=The New Republic|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/163285/andrew-torba-gab-white-christian-internet|access-date=2021-08-25|issn=0028-6583}}</ref> As of August 2021, AdHawk is part of a network of websites on a "mission to transform the way flooring is bought and sold."<ref name=":5" />
== References == <references />
Category:Online advertising Category:Technology companies established in 2011 Category:2011 establishments in the United States Category:2011 establishments in Pennsylvania Category:2017 mergers and acquisitions