A daily newsletter summarizing recent activity & interesting start-ups globally
RECENT NOTABLE ACTIVITY – ADTECH
- Charmboard, a shoppable video advertising platform has raised $5M in Series A funding from an undisclosed VC firm and two global corporations. Link
- Fyber, a mobile supply-side and ad monetization platform has raised $7.9M in Series B funding from BillFront. Link
- Xineoh Technologies, a machine learning based ad campaign optimization platform has raised $2M in Series A funding King and Bay West. Link
- Celtra, a distribution and optimization platform of the display, video, and native ads has raised $15M in Series C funding from Unilever Ventures and WPP. Link
- MediaAlpha, a demand side platform for insurance advertising vertical has raised $20M Debt funding from Bridge Bank. Link
- YieldMo, a mobile supply-side platform has raised $8.9M in Series C funding from Time Warner, GV, Vast Ventures, and Unicorn Square Ventures. Link
- RhythmOne, a cross-device video ad exchange platform has acquired RadiumOne, a cross-device demand side platform. Link
- Singular, a unified mobile marketing platform has acquired Apsalar, a mobile ad attribution and ad analytics platform. Link
SOME INTERESTING STARTUPS FOUND
PlayWall (2016, San Diego) – An advertising platform that overlays display and video ads on top of the existing content.
Vidstart (2016, TelAviv) – A cross-device video advertising and monetization platform which enables brands and advertisers to buy mobile and video ad inventory in real-time.
LEADER BOARD – ADTECH
Creatives
Sundaysky (2007, Tel Aviv, $67M) – Enables brands to deliver scalable one-to-one video experiences. Helps to create, manage and optimize real-time personalized video programs throughout the customer lifecycle. Backed by Norwest Venture Partners, Comcast Ventures, Carmel Ventures, Globespan Capital Partners.
Flite (2006, SF, $43M, Acq.) – Provides a suite of tools to deliver programmatic creatives, content-driven ads and responsive ads as platform solutions. Acquired by Snap in 2016. Backed by Northgate Capital, Sequoia Capital, HWVP and General Catalyst Partners.
Trading Desk
Mediacrossing (2012, Stamford, $9M) – Provides a digital media trading and data management platform. Focuses on programmatic trading, campaign optimization, media planning, high-frequency trading and media buying. Backed by Connecticut Innovations.
Demand-Side Platform
AppNexus (2007, NYC, $319M) – Offers an advanced programmatic advertising technology platform that provides trading solutions and powers marketplaces for internet advertising. Backed by TCV, News Corp, Venrock, SV Angel, Khosla Ventures, Kodiak VP, First Round Capital, Tribeca VP, WPP, and Microsoft.
Turn (2004, Redwood City, $156M, Acq.) – Serves as a demand-side platform and data management platform for buyers of advertising inventory. Acquired by Amobee. Backed by NVP, Focus Ventures, Trident Capital, Shasta Ventures, Fidelity Investments, BlackRock, Firsthand Technology Value Fund and Northport Investments.
Ad Exchange
OpenX (2006, Pasadena, $85M) – Offers an ad server, RTB ad exchange and a supply-side platform to connect publishers with advertisers. Backed by Accel Partners, First Round Capital, Index Ventures, Mangrove Capital Partners and O’Reilly Alphatech Ventures.
BrightRoll (2006, SF, $46M, Acq.) – The BrightRoll platform delivers, manages and measures the performance of digital video ad campaigns across the web, mobile and connected TV. Acquired by Yahoo in 2014. Backed by True Ventures, Adams Street Partners, Trident Capital, Scale Venture Partners, and Endeavour Partners.
Ad Network
InMobi (2007, Bangalore, $221M) – Enables advertisers to launch personalized mobile and website ad campaigns using targeted data analytics for consumer life map, behavior, social connections, and demography. Backed by Sherpalo Ventures, Mumbai Angels, KPCB, SoftBank and Tennenbaum Capital.
Millennial Media (2006, Baltimore, IPO, Acq.) – Independent mobile ad platform and data company that partners with advertisers, app developers, and mobile operators to reach consumers at scale. Acquired by AOL in 2015. Backed by NEA, BVP, Columbia Capital and Charles River Ventures.
Data Management Platform
Adconion (2006, Santa Monica, $80M, Acq.) – Provides audience targeting solutions including behavioral and demographic targeting with technology and data analysis to create online campaigns across multiple platforms. Acquired by Amobee in 2014. Backed by Index Ventures, Wellington Partners, Silicon Valley Bank.
Phorm (2002, London, IPO) – Phorm employs behavioral based targeted advertising using ISP’s data and browsing habits. Phorm provides a source of keyword text advertising across all categories. Went public in January 2005. Backed by Morgan Stanley, Evolution Securities, Mirabaud Securities LLP and Canaccord Adams.
Ad Verification
Integral Ad Science (2009, NYC, $81M) – Global media valuation platform that evaluates the quality of ad placements for display and video ads. Backed by Pelion VP, Atlas Venture, Sapphire Ventures, August Capital, Silicon Valley Bank, Coriolis Ventures and Founder Collective.
DoubleVerify (2008, NYC, $46.5M) – Tracks the actual delivery of campaigns to verify that they are in compliance with the advertisers’ insertion order terms, conditions and buying guidelines. Backed by Blumberg Capital, First Round Capital, JMI Equity, IVP and Genacast Ventures.
Retargeting
Criteo (2005, Paris, IPO) – A technology company that serves personalized online display advertisements to consumers on behalf of e-commerce companies. Went public in October 2013. Backed by Softbank, Sapphire Ventures, BVP, Index Ventures, Elaia Partners and Idinvest Partners.
AdRoll (2007, SF, $90M) – Offers a retargeting platform for ads across Facebook, Twitter, mobile, and the web. Backed by Accel Partners, Northgate Capital, Merus Capital, IVP and Foundation Capital.
Enablers
Ensighten (2009, Cupertino, $108.5M) – Provides proprietary data and tag delivery network that allows organizations to deploy vendor tags on any platform or device. Backed by Insight Partners, Volition Capital, Lead Edge Capital, Floodgate and The Halo Fund.
Peer39 (2006, NYC, $30M, Acq.) – A pre-bid data provider for programmatic buying by classifying its RTB inventory at the page-level. Acquired by Digital Generation Inc. in 2012. Backed by Dawntreader ventures, JP Morgan, Canaan Partners, Evergreen Venture Partners, and Silicon Valley Bank.
Supply-side Platform
Yume (2004, Redwood City, IPO) – Provides digital video advertising solutions for brand advertisers and enable them to find target audiences across a range of digital media properties. Went public in July 2013. Backed by Accel Partners, Khosla Ventures, Felicis Ventures, Intel Capital, DAG Ventures, e.ventures.
Rubicon Project (2007, LA, IPO) – Advertising automation platform enabling premium publishers to transact many advertising brands globally. Went public in April 2014. Backed by Clearstone VP, Mayfield Fund, Stanford University, IDG Ventures Vietnam.
Pubmatic (2006, Redwood City, $63M) – Provides a holistic inventory, data and advertising revenue optimization platform for digital publishers. Backed by DFJ, Nexus VP, and Helion VC.
Native Ad Platform
Outbrain (2006, NYC, $194M) – Provides content discovery and recommendation for publishers to increase traffic and generate revenue based on user-specific contextual analysis and collaborative filtering. Backed by Gemini Israel Ventures, LVSP, Glenbrook Partners, LGiLab, Carmel Ventures, GlenRock Israel, Index Ventures, HarbourVest Partners, Vintage Investment Partners, Susquehanna Growth Equity.
Taboola (2007, NYC, $160M) – Provides content advertising, distribution and monetization solutions to publishers and marketers. Backed by Evergreen VP, Pitango Venture Capital, WGI Group, Comcast Ventures, Marker and Daily Mail.
Leaderboard includes all the top funded, IPO and successfully running bootstrapped companies along with their location, founding year and funding amount
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