Optimove, the Tel Aviv-based player engagement platform and creator of the Positionless Marketing framework, has signed an agreement to acquire Smartico, a bootstrapped iGaming CRM company that pioneered gamification-based marketing. The transaction is expected to close in the coming weeks, with financial terms not disclosed.
Key Data and Context
Announced on April 6, the deal brings together what Optimove describes as “two leading CRM marketing platforms in iGaming.” Both companies will continue to operate independently, with Smartico’s leadership team retaining full decision-making authority over the company’s direction and day-to-day operations. This marks the fourth acquisition for Optimove since 2018, following the purchases of DynamicMail from PowerInbox (2018), data integration firm Axonite (2020), and no-code gamification platform Adact (March 2025).
The global online gambling market reached $95.3 billion in 2024 and is projected to nearly double to $185.17 billion by 2033. Both firms argue that the legalization of new jurisdictions and increasing compliance complexity are driving demand for advanced CRM and player engagement tools.
Company History and Products
Optimove was founded in 2009 as Mobius Solutions by Pini Yakuel and Shachar Cohen, who met as students at Tel Aviv University. They initially ran a consultancy helping companies build customer analytics models before launching the Optimove software platform in 2012. The company was bootstrapped for its first five years, then raised $20 million from Israel Growth Partners in 2016 at a $100 million valuation, followed by a $75 million growth equity round led by Summit Partners in 2021. Optimove claims profitability since inception and now employs over 550 people across offices in Tel Aviv, New York, and London. Its platform offers AI-powered player segmentation, multi-channel campaign orchestration, predictive modeling, along with the OptiGenie AI toolkit and Opti-X personalization engine.
Smartico was founded in 2019 in Bulgaria by co-founders Arman Gal, Sergey Kubitsky, Anton Antropov, and Yuval Meshulam, who previously worked at major iGaming tech firms such as Playtech and 888. Their core insight was that CRM and gamification—traditionally considered separate functions by operators—could be unified into a single platform. Smartico’s product suite includes CRM automation, gamification tools such as missions, levels, badges, and tournaments, free-to-play mini-games, a bonus engine, customizable jackpots, and AI-powered predictive modeling for player lifetime value.
Integration and Competition
Despite the shared ownership, both companies plan to continue developing competing products, viewing this internal competition as an intentional strategy to drive better outcomes for iGaming operators. Smartico co-founder Arman Gal said maintaining independence is meaningful to his team, adding that the collaboration provides more resources to scale faster and continue innovating in player engagement. Optimove CEO Pini Yakuel noted that Smartico stood out for being the first to integrate gamification and CRM marketing into a product category widely adopted by iGaming operators. That category now has two leading platforms: one built internally and the other operating under the Optimove umbrella.