Exclusive: Arthur Querou, CEO of Vibe, Talks about the Blockbuster Acquisition by Walmart

From Cannes Lions, Ari Paparo sits down with Vibe.co CEO Arthur Querou, following the announcement that Walmart is acquiring Vibe.co. Arthur shares the company's journey from a French startup to a leading performance TV platform, how Vibe.co was funded after selling KMTX, and what the future of performance CTV looks like inside Walmart Connect. Takeaways Walmart announced plans to acquire Vibe.co, with reports valuing the deal at approximately $1.2 billion plus incentives. Vibe.co originated as a spin-off of KMTX, a QR-targeting company founded in France. The founders sold KMTX to fund and accelerate Vibe.co's growth. Vibe.co grew rapidly by focusing on performance-driven CTV advertising for SMBs and performance marketers. The company achieved a reported run rate of approximately $227 million ARR. Vibe.co operates primarily in the U.S., while maintaining its product and engineering team in France. Arthur credits France's strong ad tech ecosystem for helping produce global success stories. Walmart Connect and Vibe.co serve complementary customer segments, creating expansion opportunities. The entire Vibe.co team is expected to join Walmart following the acquisition. Arthur's focus remains on building technology that unlocks the full potential of performance TV advertising. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Walmart Acquisition Announcement00:23 Why Announcing the Deal at Cannes Was Special01:00 The Origin Story of Vibe.co01:12 Selling KMTX to Fund Vibe.co01:49 Building a French Ad Tech Success Story02:18 France's Impact on Global Ad Tech02:30 Vibe.co vs. Mountain: Market Comparisons03:22 Growth Metrics and ARR Discussion03:40 What Happens Next at Walmart04:18 The Future of Performance TV05:10 Why Vibe.co Focuses on SMB Advertisers05:47 How Vibe.co Complements Walmart Connect06:01 The Entire Team Is Joining Walmart06:16 Arthur's Walmart Story07:01 Final Congratulations and Closing Remarks Guests: Ari Paparo, Arthur QUEROU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices