JibJab, the e-card and video company perhaps still best known for a viral video from the Bush-Kerry election in 2004, has been acquired by Mode, a company with a very 2026 business model: rewarding app users for sharing their data, including for AI training.

The deal includes up to $29.5 million in cash and stock. Mode says the purchase marks its 11th acquisition since January 2025 and its largest this year. The company plans to integrate JibJab with its rewards and monetization system, dubbed EarnOS, though the details remain to be determined, says Dan Novaes, Mode’s cofounder and CEO. JibJab is profitable and generates tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue, he says.

In general, Mode offers access to premium app subscriptions and other rewards for users who opt in to share data with businesses conducting consumer research or, more recently, artificial intelligence training. Novaes says the model grew out of the realization that only about 5% of app users typically pay for premium subscriptions, while others might be interested in gaining premium access in different ways.

“We thought to ourselves, could we provide a rewards and earning exchange amongst consumers to get the premium version of the product,” he says. “If you don’t want to spend $40 a year on a subscription, then if you take this action, we will give you a light version of the subscription for free.”

Exactly what those transactions involve varies from app to app, though Novaes emphasizes that users will always have to opt in, even as the AI industry has become known for acquiring training data through sometimes questionable means .

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