The world of advertising has been one of the hardest hit by the crisis, as it is one of the activities with the most reduced business budgets. Despite this, the venture capital is has opted for new advertising models, almost all of which are based on mobility.
"The advertising and media industry is in a process of radical change and technology has an important role to play as a driver of growth. In the US, for example, we have recently seen how the mobile advertising platform Pontiflex $2.75M. There is a trend towards the generation and distribution of content such as Onespot which has just lifted a round of $5,3M or the Spanish Brandcontent which has been incubated by 500startup. Another trend is oriented towards the analysis of that content and the reputation of brands, such as the tool Brandrain which last year raised €1M of Inveready"comments Diego Gutierrez, a corporate finance expert from Abra Invest.
Beabloo: digital marketing & digital signage.
Beabloo offers cloud-based technology that allows you, with just a screen, a player and an internet connection, to communicate what you want (prices, collections, offers...) whenever you want, in the format you prefer (digital signage, web, mobile applications or social networks) and to measure the results. With the round closed in 2011, the shareholding is divided among the founders, with 60%; Infemawith a 20%, and other partners, such as CMO, CatalunyaCaixa, Esade, Dexia Asset Management, eDreams, Tormo & Asociados, Kodak and Cuatrecasas, who have the 20%.
Smadex: mobile advertising
Smadex works with media agencies and ad networks to help advertisers with retail outlets (banks, car dealerships, fashion shops, restaurants, etc.) to promote themselves on mobile in innovative ways. The venture capital fund Highgrowth Innovació led a 600k financing round, in which the fund also participated. Be Capital, driven by Gerard Olivé, of the advertising company Be Republic.
TaptapNetworks: the largest round featuring Nauta
Taptap Networksfounded in 2010 by Álvaro del Castillo, which offers mobile advertising services to publishing groups, advertisers and large media agencies, closed its first mobile advertising campaign in 2012. financing round for an amount of €3.5M. In particular, the round involved the management company of Venture Capital Nauta Capital, 3M, and the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, through the Centre for Technological and Industrial Development (CDTI), with €0.5M.