Chicago-based Sprout Social, a social media management software provider, has acquired Dublin’s predictive media intelligence company NewsWhip.

The deal includes $55M (nearly €48M) in cash, with up to an additional $10M (nearly €8.74M) in performance-based earnouts over the next two years. The deal closed on July 29, 2025, and was funded through Sprout’s credit facility and existing cash.

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“We are excited to deepen Sprout’s Listening capabilities with NewsWhip’s industry-leading real-time insights and innovative AI agents, which we believe will accelerate our AI roadmap over the next several years,” says Joe Del Preto, CFO of Sprout Social.

“NewsWhip has earned the trust of globally recognised brands for critical crisis management. We will discuss NewsWhip in more detail on our second-quarter earnings call on August 6, 2025,” adds Preto.

Following the acquisition, the NewsWhip team will join Sprout Social. Paul Quigley, NewsWhip’s co-founder and CEO, will become General Manager of Sprout’s Listening business, overseeing both NewsWhip and Sprout’s Listening products.

NewsWhip: A media intelligence platform

Founded in 2011 by Paul Quigley and Andrew Mullaney, NewsWhip analyses social engagement data to identify stories that capture media and public attention. 

The company’s real-time monitoring and AI tools track millions of stories and hundreds of millions of engagement signals daily, helping brands and publishers detect trends before they peak.

Co-founder Quigley says, “We founded NewsWhip to harness real-time intelligence to redefine how brands and publishers anticipate and act on media trends. Sprout Social’s market-leading platform, proven go-to-market strategy and commitment to innovation make them the ideal partner to build on this vision.”

“Together, we’re poised to deliver incredible value to our customers and establish a leading position in the rapidly growing predictive intelligence market.”

Aim of the acquisition

This acquisition strengthens Sprout Social’s position in the predictive intelligence market. By integrating NewsWhip’s capabilities with Sprout Social’s platform, the combined offering will help users navigate the digital media landscape with greater clarity and speed.

Today, brands and publishers face thousands of media signals each day, ranging from breaking news to emerging trends. Missing the most critical ones can lead to lost opportunities or unforeseen risks.

With NewsWhip’s predictive intelligence, Sprout Social customers will gain a unified view of media and social signals, enabling them to identify key developments and better understand audience behaviour for timely, informed action.

Ryan Barretto, CEO of Sprout Social, says, “NewsWhip’s AI-driven insights give brands a predictive edge that’s critical in today’s fast-moving digital world. Their technology unlocks real-time, actionable intelligence that allows businesses to stay ahead of trends and risks.”

“This acquisition accelerates our vision of delivering an agentic, AI-powered platform that seamlessly connects media foresight with social strategy to drive transformative outcomes for our customers.”

Speaking about the development, NewsWhip’s co-founder Paul Quigley adds, “Sprout Social is a remarkable company with deep expertise in social media management and listening, earning high praise from our customers. Newsrooms use NewsWhip to uncover stories and rely on Sprout for distribution, while brand teams spot issues on NewsWhip and turn to Sprout to explore or address them.”

“When Sprout reached out, we quickly recognised the potential of our combined strengths – NewsWhip reveals the stories shaping the world, and with Sprout, we can empower organisations to respond confidently and take decisive action on them.”

Currently, Sprout Social’s software is used by around 30,000 brands. Its platform supports functions such as publishing, engagement, customer service, influencer marketing, advocacy, and business intelligence. The software works across major social media networks and digital platforms.