AdSurge is the new ad network built by Miniclip with help from Tencent AI and Easybrain data

Tencent-owned Miniclip has launched AdSurge, a new mobile advertising platform.

The network covers both user acquisition and ad monetisation, and will initially focus on games that make most of their money from in-app advertising.

Miniclip said work on AdSurge began three years ago, and that acquisitions like Easybrain gave it the scale and range of games needed to commercialise the platform. The company said it drew on technical insights and AI expertise from Tencent’s advertising ecosystem, but built AdSurge’s algorithms from scratch around its own global traffic.

AdSurge operates as an independent, standalone company, and Miniclip said partner data is managed in strict isolation. AdSurge boss Paul Bugryniec said publishers are facing squeezed margins from platform fees, engine costs and rising ad network margins, and that AdSurge “was born out of the desire to reclaim some of that value.”

The company said AdSurge has captured a low single-digit share of wallet on ad monetisation across Miniclip’s own portfolio, while delivering a double-digit margin for Miniclip.

Bugryniec added: “Unlike other ad networks that prioritise network yield, AdSurge is focused on delivering results for our partners.”

Miniclip said it measures performance by ROAS, net ad monetisation yield, player experience and SDK technical performance. The firm said the next phase will extend AdSurge to games monetised through IAPs and hybrid models.