Advertising automation firm Rubicon Project has agreed to acquire fellow ad tech companies iSocket and Shiny Ads for under $30m.

Rubicon Project currently offers marketers and publishers a real-time bidding service, or ‘RTB’.

The addition of iSocket and Shiny Ads will provide the technology that automates the buying and selling process and include a pre-agreed number of achieved impressions or audience size – also known as ‘automated guaranteed’.

Frank Addante, chief executive, founder and chief product architect at Rubicon Project, said: “Automating guaranteed direct orders facilitates the buying and selling of the most premium, higher priced inventory directly between buyers and sellers, similar to how TV advertising is bought and sold today.

“Consolidating the guaranteed direct orders market with these acquisitions, combined with our existing direct order technology and scale, solidifies our market leadership in this rapidly growing segment,” he added

Roy Pereira, chief executive of Shiny Ads, said: “This integration of world-class automation technologies, automated guaranteed engineering talent and self-serve tool capabilities positions Rubicon Project to successfully address all aspects of the premium marketplace.”

Rubicon Project said that, due to the timing of the acquisitions and the current stages of both businesses, it is not expected for either to contribute meaningfully to Q4 2014 earnings.