We look at five advertising technology vendors that have managed to join the prestigious $1bn tech startup club
The technology industry is now awash with so-called ‘unicorns’ – privately-held companies with a market valuation of US$1bn or more based on their fundraising activities.
According to the latest figures from CB Insights, there are now a record 143 unicorns, with a combined valuation of US$508bn.
Using CB’s figures, as well as insights from several financial investment portals over the past year, we’ve compiled this list of 5 adtech companies who’ve made it to this prestigious tech club, and what they’re doing to achieve such lofty heights.
Valuation: US$1.2bn
Total funding: $363.2m, last round conducted in April 2015
Established: 2007
Based: US
Similar companies: MediaMath, DataXu, RadiumOne
AppNexus delivers programmatic ad trading solutions for digital advertising. The US-based vendor was established by several entrepreneurs from the ad exchange technology industry including former executives from DoubleClick and Yahoo’s Right Media. Investor backers include Microsoft, Venrock, Technology Crossover Ventures, First Round Capital, Mosaic co-founder Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz and Khosla Ventures.
The company claims to be the first to serve an impression via real-time auction, as well as to offer integrated buying, selling and ad serving capabilities in one platform. The as-a-service, open platform allows users to integrate self-developed tools connected via APIs to the core offering.
Headquartered in New York City with 19 global offices, AppNexus set up shop in Australia in March 2014.
In June, the company launched AppNexus Programmable Bidder, allowing agencies and brands to upload proprietary algorithms directly into its platform in order to better tailor and optimise programmatic digital buying using their own data.
Valuation: US$1bn
Total funding: $320.6m, last round September 2015
Established: 2007
Based: US
Similar companies:Flurry, Millennial Media, Lomark, Amobee Media Systems
InMobi operates a mobile advertising platform with an extensive range of ad formats, analytics and monetisation tools for app businesses. The company builds mobile-first customer engagement platforms that transform the economics of influencing global consumers.
Last November, InMobi launched its Audience Platform in the Australian market, which uses segmented data from 872 million unique users globally to better target advertising to consumers via mobile devices. The company also recently struck a partnership with consumer insights firm, Experian, to match mobile data with specific households for the benefit of brands.
Valuation: $1.17bn
Total funding : $123.5m, last round March 2015
Established: 2009
Based: US
Similar companies: Hootsuite, Spredfast, Sprout
Sprinklr is a social media management platform aimed at large enterprises. Features of its SIREn (Social Intent Revelation Engine) platform include social governance and account ownership, social workflow management, approvals across internal business/geographic units and scalable social conversation management across multiple social accounts and channels.
The vendor announced its Sprinklr Experience Cloud earlier this year, a platform aimed at connecting a brand’s various social touchpoints then provide data to marketers to further optimise customer interactions.
In June, Sprinklr made its seventh acquisition in 18 months, acquiring text analytics vendor, NewBrand. This followed the purchase of Brazilian social management vendor, Scup, in May.
Sprinklr was valued at $1bn in March after raising an addition $46m in funding.
Valuation: $1bn
Total funding: $229.9m, last round September 2014
Established: 2008
Based: Canada
Competitors: Sprinklr, Sprout Social, Salesforce Social Studio, AgoraPulse
Similarly to Sprinklr, HootSuite provides a social media management system. Core features include the ability to monitor social media interaction across various networks, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as custom analytics and data dashboard, giving multiple users the ability to collaborate on updating a company's social profile or schedule campaigns around messages.
In March, Hootsuite partnered with Stackla to allow its users to access Stackla’s content management tools within its platform.
Check out our interview with Hootsuite’s marketing leader here
Valuation: US$1bn
Total funding: $220m, last round May 2015
Established: 2004
Based: China
Panshi is an online and mobile advertising services vendors focused on China’s small and medium enterprises sector. Services include search engines, cloud-based network marketing portals and network marketing. At the higher end of town, the company is also offering Internet activity promotions, PR, media buying, market research and monitoring.
The group completed a US$200m round of series B funding in May, an investment injection that pushed its valuation to $1bn.
Follow CMO on Twitter: @CMOAustralia, take part in the CMO conversation on LinkedIn: CMO ANZ, join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMOAustralia, or check us out on Google+: google.com/+CmoAu
In this episode of Conversations over a Cuppa with CMO, ABC's director of audiences, Leisa Bacon, shares how she's navigated the COVID-19 crisis, the milestones and adaptability it's ushered in, and what sustained lessons there are for marketers as we start to recover.
In my first article in this MYOD [Make Your Organisation Data-Driven] series, I articulated a one-line approach to successfully injecting data into your organisation’s DNA: Using a Dataset -> Skillset -> Mindset framework. This will take your people and processes on a journey to data actualisation.
For businesses and advertiser categories currently experiencing a slowdown in consumer activity, now is the optimal time to get started on projects that have been of high importance, but low urgency.
The effects of the coronavirus slammed the brakes on retail sales in pubs, clubs and restaurants. Fever-Tree’s Australia GM Andy Gaunt explains what they have learnt from some tricky months of trading
Zero proof spiritsUsa since 2011 www.arkaybeverages.com🤪🤟
Sylvie
How this alcohol-free spirits brand rode the health and wellness wave
okay this a good newsmaybe i gonna try it
kenzopoker1
CMO's top 8 martech stories for the week - 9 July 2020
Very insightful. Executive leaders can let middle managers decide on the best course of action for the business and once these plans are ...
Abi TCA
CMOs: Let middle managers lead radical innovation
One failing brand tying up with another failing brand!
Realist
Binge and The Iconic launch Inactivewear clothing line
I am 56 years old and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease after four years of decreasing mobility to the point of having family dress ...
Nancy Tunick
The personal digital approach that's helping Vision RT ride out the crisis