AOL Acquires Gravity

Gravity, the startup that showcases content and advertisements for users based on their personal preferences, was bought today for $90.7 million by AOL. The advertising startup creates an “interest graph” that profiles individual users by preference, or habit. The company using Gravity can then share this information with content creators, and others, in attempts to corral users. At present, it works with brands and publishers like Sony, Intel, USA Today, and GAP as well. AOL wants to use the technology to make its own editorial and native content to use as advertisements on its websites, as well as to generate more relevant information for readers across the web. It seems like a step in the right direction for AOL, but it might not be enough, on its own, to make AOL relevant again.