// startup autopsy
LiveRail
The video ad platform that Facebook bought and then quietly smothered.
acquisition gone wrongSilent Shutdown
Quiet closure with no public announcement · Fatal mistake: LiveRail's technology and publisher relationships were made entirely redundant by Facebook's internal ad infrastructure development after the acquisition.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
LiveRail founded in San Francisco by Mark Trefgarne to build a programmatic video advertising platform for publishers.
FUNDING
LiveRail raises its final round of funding, bringing total capital to $12M, as the programmatic video ad market heats up dramatically.
ACQUISITION ATTEMPT
Facebook acquires LiveRail for approximately $400-500M, announcing plans to build a major video ad network for publishers using LiveRail's technology.
PIVOT
Facebook quietly shuts down LiveRail's publisher-facing ad serving business, converting it to a data platform as Facebook Audience Network renders it redundant.
SHUTDOWN
LiveRail fully ceases operations as a distinct entity, completely absorbed and wound down within Facebook's advertising infrastructure.