Q1

2016

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
Company Summaries
Venture Capital Market Update

In This Issue
2
3

Dstillery

4-5

MediaMath

6-7

Integral Ad Science

8-9

Skyword

10-11

Trust Metrics

12-13

Simpli.fi

14-15

Localytics

16-17

Pixability

18-19

Qualia

20-21

LISNR

22-23

IRIS.TV

24-25

TruOptik

26-27

Dear Friends,
We are pleased to provide you with an update on Progress Ventures for the first quarter of 2016.

Fund 1
Dstillery won awards at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and the David Ogilvy Awards for big data intelligence.
MediaMath has been recognized as a Visionary in Gartners Magic Quadrant for Digital Marketing Hubs.
Integral Ad Science lauched a first-of-its-kind video viewability targeting in partnership with MediaMath.

Fund 2

Skyword launched a Google Analytics integration to connect content marketing and ROI.
Trust Metrics continues to scale in the increasingly important market of publisher transparency.
Simpli.fi released Conversion Zones, enabling businesses to track store traffic driven by mobile advertising campaigns.
Localytics has partnered with Salesforce to bring deeper intelligence to their shared customers.
Pixability has hired advertising technology veteran Nancy Lazaros as CFO.
Qualia merged with BlueCava; merging intent data, mapping to multiple devices, and closing the loop to multi-device attribution.

Fund 3
CraveLabs continues to find success with its DropIn platform, delivering real-time location intelligence to mobile advertisements
LISNR was chosen as a finalist for the SXSW Music & Audio Innovation Award.
IRIS.TV partnered with VideoElephant to provide publishers with personalized syndicated content.
TruOptik partnered with Experian to introduce OTT-TV measurement solution to provide digital TV currency.

U.S. Venture Capital Market Activity1

$40

Dollars out ($B)

Dollars in ($B)

$35
$30
$25
$20
$15
$10
$5
$0
1Q

2Q

3Q
2013

4Q

1Q

2Q

3Q
2014

4Q

1Q

2Q

3Q
2015

4Q

1Q
2016

1. PitchBook 1Q 2016 U.S. Venture Industry Report

Venture Capital Market Update

In late 2015 and into 2016, private company valuations began to level off after a period of rapid rise. Also, across the first quarter of 2016, there
were no IPOs in the United States from technology companies. As valuation growth and public market exits slow, venture stage investing
activity has also begun to level off. Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), notes that a
significant portion of the leveling can be attributed to nontraditional investors scaling back their investment activity and refocusing on their
core businesses. Activity from the non-tourist venture capitalists remains strong.
Venture capitalists invested $12.1 billion in 969 deals in the first quarter of 2016, according to a report from PwC and the NVCA. Total venture
dollars deployed to startup companies for the quarter remained flat and total deal count was down 5 percent, compared with the fourth
quarter when $12.0 billion was invested in 1,021 deals. Compared with Q1 2015, dollars and deals are both down 11 percent. This is the ninth
consecutive quarter of more than $10 billion in venture capital invested in a single quarter.
Progress Ventures continues to add additional value to portfolio companies by leveraging the targeted focus that our small footprint allows us.
In a recently published study titled Venture Capital Disrupts Itself: Breaking the Concentration Curse, Cambridge Associates debunks the
idea that a few top names in Silicon Valley create most of the value. It concludes: The old wives tale that a concentrated number of venture
firms account for the majority of venture capital value creation is flawed. As the venture capital industry and technology markets have
evolved and matured more managers are creating significant investment value for LPs, with value increasingly created through companies
located outside the United States and across a range of subsectors.

Progress Ventures Update

The Progress Ventures team is excited to announce the addition of a new member of our team, Alex Blum. Alex adds considerable market
expertise and experience, which comes from a diverse career as a serial entrepreneur and investor across numerous high growth sectors. Alex
was previously the CEO of KickApps prior to its acquisition by Piksel. While at KickApps, Alex helped incubate Admeld, and served as a Board
Member until its acquisition by Google for $400M. Prior to joining KickApps, he was President and COO of JumpTV, through the companys
successful IPO. Alex also spent nearly eight years at AOL, most recently as the Vice President of Product Marketing for AOLs Audience
business. He currently holds investments in 5 early stage companies and obtained an BS ME from the University of Colorado and an MBA from
the Albers School at Seattle University.
As always, thank you for your support and interest in our firm. We encourage you to reach out with any questions or comments.

Nick MacShane
Founding Partner
nick@progressventures.com

Sam Thompson
Founding Partner
sam@progressventures.com

Chris Legg
Managing Partner
clegg@progresspartners.com

Rick Gallagher
Managing Partner
rick@progressventures.com

Alex Blum
Managing Partner
alex@progressventures.com

TOM PHILLIPS | DSTILLERY CEO

Dstillerys Peter Ibarra & Peter Lenz Make

it to The Final Four at the MIT Sloan
Sports Analytics Conference
Dstillery Press Release

| March 14, 2016

http://bit.ly/1W1OhA1

Dstillery (formerly Media6Degrees) is at the forefront of

advertising technology, pioneering new ways to create

Dstillery, a pioneer in big data intelligence, today announced that

brand value for marketers by extracting signals from the

Peter Ibarra, Data Analyst, and Peter Lenz, Geospatial Analyst,

complete customer journey and activating them across all

screens. The company is building on five years of leading
the data revolution in marketing to drive even greater

presentation made it to the Final Four at the 2016 MIT Sloan Sports
Analytics Conference and was the Top Paper in the Business of Sports
track. The presentation, Using Digital Signals To Measure Audience
Brand Engagement at Major Sports Events, explores the hypothesis

impact for each of its brand. They work with over 400

that brand sponsorships and brand placements can be evaluated using

top-tier brands, and have been recognized as one of Forbes

digital data signals gathered from Major League Baseball stadium

Top 100 Most Promising Companies in America and

Crains Best Places to Work in New York.
For more information, visit: http://www.dstillery.com

visitors.
The research was conducted by Peter Ibarra and Peter Lenz at
Dstillery. The presentation, which is part of the 2016 Research Paper
Competition, was delivered on March 11th at the Boston Convention
& Exhibit Center. More details about the conference and the
competition are available at http://www.sloansportsconference.com/.
This event afforded us the opportunity to collaborate with sports
executives, leading researchers and students to discuss the increasing
role of analytics in the global sports industry, said Dstillerys Peter
Ibarra. Our audience research is unique, as it marries offline and
online behavior by using online behavioral data to analyze visitors to
a physical location. Our study shows that brand sponsorships have an

impact on fan engagement, and in some cases increase in value as the

in offline sales of Chobani products. Chobani uses the findings here

season progresses.

to optimize creative messaging, and to manage promotional programs

with various audience segments.

One finding is that Colorado Rockies fans at Coors Field are 13.6
times more likely to visit an airline sponsors website than the general

Chobani, in collaboration with Omnicom Media Group, is constantly

population and 4.1 times more likely than all other MLB team fans.

looking to improve their audience brand experience. For this

When looking at monthly trends, the propensity for fans to visit the

campaign, they partnered with Dstillery to better understand their

airline sponsor site versus all other MLB fans increased from 4.1 to

consumers preferences and to inform their brand messaging. Using

6.8. Additional examples will be explored during the presentation.

behavioral and geo-location data within a causal inference framework,

Dstillery identified the best-performing creative choices at a micro-

This research has far-reaching implications for matching teams with

segment level to impact both brand affinity and purchase results. The

prospective sponsors, while at the same time providing a comprehensive

insights have helped Chobani connect emotionally with consumers by

perspective on how the audience at each ballpark is interacting with

serving impactful creative to their diverse audiences.

current brands, said Peter Lenz of Dstillery. Furthermore, the

methods described allow one to quantify the impact of corporate

The Advertising Research Foundation showcases leading and bleeding-

sponsorships in a way that has never been explored before.

edge solutions and evangelizes the leaders that lead them into action.
The organization challenges conventions and discovers new insights

Peter Ibarra and Peter Lenz are members of the award-winning

that benefit its member network. This collaboration yields meaningful,

Dstillery data science team. Peter Ibarra works closely with digital

actionable and indispensable insights that empower members to

advertisers on consumer research and digital insights. Peter Lenz

have a true impact on their marketing and build leadership in their

is responsible for spatial data collection and liaising with clients to

organizations.

determine how to best apply geodata to their campaigns.

The ARF David Ogilvy Awards Honors

Dstillery For Creative Analytics and Data
Science
Dstillery Press Release

| March 16, 2016

http://bit.ly/1W1OgMH

Dstillery, a trailblazer in big data intelligence, today announced that

the company was honored at The Advertising Research Foundation
(ARF) David Ogilvy Awards for its work with Chobani and Omnicom
Media Group. Dstillery was awarded Silver in Big Data and Bronze
in the Innovation categories for the Moving Cups: Micro-Audiences
& Messaging campaign. The ARF David Ogilvy Awards celebrate the
critical role of insights that inspire great advertising.
We are very proud to receive these awards, said Tom Phillips, CEO of
Dstillery. This unique campaign demonstrated that micro-audiences
respond differently to varying creative, leading to 60% and better lifts

JOE ZAWADZKI | MediaMath CEO

MediaMath Recognized as Visionary

in Gartners Magic Quadrant for Digital
Marketing Hubs

Based in New York with 12 locations across five

MediaMath Press Release

continents, MediaMath develops digital marketing

http://prn.to/1W1OO52

technology and offers deep industry expertise, enabling

marketers to connect with consumers individually and
at scale across the entirety of the worlds digital media.
MediaMaths TerminalOne Marketing Operating System

| January 7, 2016

MediaMath, the global advertising technology provider behind the

TerminalOne Marketing Operating System, today announced it has
been positioned by Gartner, Inc. in the Visionaries quadrant of the
Magic Quadrant for Digital Marketing Hubs.

enables marketers to customize their own technology

infrastructure and leverage their data and industry data

We consider our positioning in the Visionaries Quadrant by Gartner

in the planning, execution, optimization and analysis of

confirmation of our mission to enable advertisers to achieve goal-

digital marketing programs, resulting in smarter decisions

that grow their business. Powering the operations for

based marketing at scale, said Joe Zawadzki, CEO of MediaMath.

Through our open, extensible platform and deep partnerships with
other technology providers, we invite marketers around the globe to

thousands of marketers, including those representing 55

build a technology stack that helps them achieve the outcomes that

percent of the Fortune 100, TerminalOne enables its users

matter to their specific business, in a transparent way. We have a

to drive transformative business results across the entire

number of pending product launches coming in 2016 that we expect

digital ecosystem.
For more information, visit http://www.mediamath.com

to further enhance our market position.

The Magic Quadrant is a market research report prepared by Gartner
analysts that evaluates companies in different industries to provide an
overview of a market and its trajectory and maturity. Providers are
assessed on their ability to execute and for completeness of vision.
The quadrants include Challengers, Leaders, Niche Players and
Visionaries.

Online Ad Company MediaMath Launches New

Unit Focused On Customer Data
Published by TechCrunch

| January 13, 2016

http://tcrn.ch/1W1OP9k

Theres a lot of talk about using data to power programmatic

advertising, but according to MediaMath CEO Joe Zawadzki, the
reality hasnt lived up to all the hopes and dreams. Thats something
hes hoping to change, partly through todays launch of MediaMaths
new Helix business unit.
Well, not entirely new. Its built on top of MediaMaths Adroit
Shopper Co-op, which the company acquired from Akamai. In fact,
the technology has changed hands a few times as Helix President
Jacob Ross put it, Different owners have invested in it for a decade.
However, Zawadzki said that in the three years since the acquisition,
MediaMath has been replatforming it in a couple of different
dimensions and integrating it with MediaMaths ad-buying tools
and data now its unveiling the results of that work. The company
says Helix allows marketers to use anonymized shopping data from
hundreds of members, including one-third of the 100 largest retailers
in the US, which marketers can then use to target their ads.
MediaMath throws off a lot of data exhaust in the way that they
generate marketing, Ross said. Were combining that data asset that
MediaMath has with the shopper co-op to create a holistic profile of
a consumer.
Ross emphasized that this will be a very clean environment with
reliable data. He also said this approach should reduce the manual
work in programmatic advertising and allow marketers to focus on
targeting specific audiences.
MediaMath has already been testing the platform with some
advertisers, including Pep Boys, which praised Helix for allowing it
to reach a much wider pool of shoppers. Pep Boys said its already
seeing improved campaign performance. While Helix is only
launching in the United States today, Ross said the plan is to make it
available to all global MediaMath clients.

SCOTT KNOLL | Integral Ad Science CEO

bRealTime Joins Integral Ad Science

Certified Viewability Partner Program
Integral Ad Science Press Release

Integral Ad Science is a technology company focused

| January 17, 2016

http://bit.ly/1W1P1FA

on ensuring safe, quality media environments for

online advertisers. Employing the industrys only media
valuation platform, Integral Ad Science evaluates the
media environment and establishes a TRAQ Score (True
Advertising Quality), a first-of-its kind, quantifiable

bRealTime, the preferred programmatic marketplace connecting the

highest quality publishers with sophisticated media buyers, today
announced it has been named to Integral Ad Sciences Certified
Viewability Partner Program. Integral is the leader in quantifying
digital media quality, and bRealTimes program membership is a

measure of media quality that ultimately benefits every

strong signal to media buyers that it is prepared to transact based on

media buyer, seller, publisher and trading platform. TRAQ

discrepancy-free viewability measurement, alleviating operational

score supports an advertisers ability to plan, execute

challenges.

and target their audience in an environment that reflects

their brand image and drives ROI, while simultaneously

The ability to trade on viewable impressions has become a must

have in servicing todays digital media advertisers. We have worked

setting benchmarks for publishers who wish to improve

with Integral Ad Science for a number of years now and we have

the quality of their media, content and design. Integral

always been impressed by their commitment to providing media

is headquartered in New York with operations in San

buyers with a safe and reliable ecosystem. We are thrilled to take our

Francisco, Chicago, London, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney.

For more information, visit http://integralads.com

partnership to a new level in becoming an early member of their

Certified Viewability Partner Program, explained bRealTime VP of
Ad Operations, James Faherty.
Once included in the Certified Viewability Partner Program, media
sellers gain increased operational efficiency, which ultimately creates
a relationship with their advertisers that is based on trust and
effectiveness.

We are excited to welcome bRealTime to our program, and we look

through one of our DSP integrations, as part of our new performance-

forward to continuing to help unify the digital advertising industry,

matching technology. Our video viewability pre-bid segments are a

said Scott Knoll, CEO Integral Ad Science.

logical product extension of our current offerings, which leverage our

significant investment in data science and our independent, third-

Traditionally, media quality measurement relies solely on either the

party position in the industry.

advertiser side or the publisher side, resulting in discrepancies of up

to 20 percent. Discrepancies lead to significant issues for both sides

The video viewability Bid Expert programmatic targeting segments

of the sale, including transacting, planning and optimizing on quality

are driven by the new technology that implements an innovative

media. Joining the partner program removes these issues by providing

approach to target the overall viewability performance of a campaign.

a single, accurate, discrepancy-free number on which both sides agree.

In this case, the targeting segments represent video ad inventory that

Integral is the only third-party advertising verification company that

is expected to achieve a predefined level of viewability. With this

is able to measure and report based on a single number.

technology, advertisers can confidently optimize their programmatic

buying based on desired performance results.

Integral Ad Science Launches First-of-itsKind Video Viewability Targeting with

MediaMath

Viewability is a key driver in modern programmatic, said Sam

Cox, Vice President, Global Partnerships, MediaMath. MediaMaths
partnership with Integral, including these enhancements for video,
continues to drive outcomes for marketers.

Integral Ad Science Press Release

| March 10, 2016

http://bit.ly/1W1P4Rw

Integral Ad Science, the leader in quantifying digital media quality,

today unveiled first-of-its-kind video viewability pre-bid segments,
allowing advertisers to target specific viewability thresholds for video
ads in programmatic buying. By leveraging Integrals performancematching technology, advertisers will be empowered with the ability
to target the level of viewability that they wish to achieve for their
campaign.
This new delivery to the critical video channel is a natural enhancement
to Integrals Bid Expert solution one that gives advertisers unparalleled
intelligence for informed programmatic buying. Video ad buyers now
have a tool that not only allows bidding on video inventory that is
likely to be seen but also provides refined controls for optimizing
campaign viewability levels. MediaMath, the marketing technology
company, has become the first to make the offering available, with
additional partners in the process of integrating the solution.
There was a large hole in being able to independently target in view
video impressions for advertisers, said David Hahn, SVP Product
Management of Integral Ad Science. Video advertisers can now select
the specific percentage of impressions that they require to be in view

TOM GERACE | Skyword CEO

Skyword Launches Google Analytics

Integration to Connect Content Marketing
and ROI
Skyword Press Release

| January 19, 2016

http://bit.ly/1W1Pbg9

Skyword delivers all that marketers need to reach and

engage their audiences with quality, original content
designed to succeed in search and social media. Quality
content is essential for reaching and engaging consumers

Today, Skyword announced the launch of Skyword Analytics + GA,

a new integration in its content marketing software that combines
data from Google Analytics service with the storytelling metrics
native to Skywords platform. With this integration, Skyword gives its

today, but the creation process is messy, inconsistent and

customers a holistic view of the health of their content and enables

immeasurable. The Skyword Platform makes it easy to

both marketers and publishers to optimize the quality of the stories

produce, optimize, and promote content at any scale to

create meaningful, lasting relationships with customers.
Skyword also provides access to a community of thousands

they publish. Through this streamlined intelligence, users are better

positioned to create content that will grow the brands audience and
loyal base of customers.

of professional writers, and its content strategy and

Measuring the value of content is a challenge for both marketers and

editorial teams can help ensure the ongoing success of

media companies. It requires a broad scope of metrics from disparate

clients content programs. Skyword is a privately held,

publishing platforms and analytics packages to gain audience insights

privately funded company headquartered in Boston,

Massachusetts. Investors include Allen & Company,
Progress Ventures, Cox Media Group, and American
Public Media Group.
For more information, visit http://www.skyword.com.

and understand the impact that storytelling brings to the business.

With the launch of Skyword Analytics + GA, the Skyword Platform
now provides a simplified view of a storys performance by combining
channel, referral, engagement, and goal conversion metrics from
Google Analytics with story and storyteller performance data from
the Skyword Platform.
Skyword Analytics + GA empowers traditional and brand publishers
to determine the impact that stories have on audience development

10

measured by increased readership, lead generation, subscriber growth,

and revenue attribution. Where traditional reporting is limited to

Forward 2016 is Skywords second marketing conference that explores

page-level metrics, Skyword Analytics + GA roll-up reporting is

the value, art and science of brand storytelling. Formerly known as

based on predetermined conversion goals, and allows marketers to

Content Rising Summit, Skyword rebranded the event to reflect the

determine which contributors are most effective at engaging withand

pace at which marketing is evolving in the digital age. The two-day

driving action fromrelevant audiences.

conference will offer sessions, panel discussions and keynote speakers

that push brands and publishers to take risks with new kinds of

The integrated view of Skyword metrics and Google Analytics takes

technology and content formats.

a lot of the heavy lifting out of sourcing metrics that influence our
audience development strategy, said Lauryn McLaughlin, Senior

Tim Urban, writer, illustrator and Forwards opening keynote speaker,

Manager of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, a Skyword client. It

has amassed a loyal, engaged audience through storytelling. Urban

gives our team a real picture of how our articles resonate with our

founded Wait But Why, a popular website that combines long-form

readers, and allows us to report on the value that our stories create in

stories and stick-figure illustrations to bring new light to a wide array

the form of increased readership, shares comments, and subscriptions.

of topics, from artificial intelligence to Generation Y. Through humor,

Skyword Analytics + GA gives publishers the ability to craft specific

analogies and drawing unlikely connections, Urban attracts nearly

narratives around the performance of their storytelling strategy,

10 million monthly visitors. Urbans TED Talk, Inside the Mind of

and customize to an audience segment or specific business goal.

a Master Procrastinator, received 300,000 views during the first 24

Now, Skywords customers can monitor which stories draw in new

hours of its publication.

audiences, and which stories motivate a deeper level of customer

engagement.

In 2015, the conference attracted 300 marketers from around the world
to learn from Robert McKee, screenwriting guru and bestselling author

Skyword Announces Forward 2016

of Story; Ann Handley, chief content officer at MarketingProfs; and

Dan Pallotta, entrepreneur, author and humanitarian activist. Skyword
is continuing to build out the speakers and agenda for 2016.

Skyword Press Release

| March 17, 2016

http://bit.ly/1W1PaIU

Skyword, leading content marketing and technology company, today

announced that ForwardTM 2016, its annual conference on the
intersection of story and business, will take place June 2223, 2016,
at the Westin Waterfront Hotel in Boston. Forward 2016 will bring
together business leaders and marketing experts to discuss the role of
storytelling in building successful brands in the digital age.
Marketers know that content plays a critical role in communicating
brand value and connecting with consumers, said Tom Gerace, CEO
and founder of Skyword. The challenge is creating brand experiences
that people gravitate towards, immerse themselves in and act on. Our
goal for Forward 2016 is to take the conversation to the next level, and
identify the ways that brands are shifting perspective and connecting
with audiences through story.

11

Scott Tomlin | Trust Metrics CEO

In The Wild West Of Digital Advertising,

Marketers Must Rein In The Anarchy
Published in AdExchanger

Trust Metrics is a neutral information services company

| March 4, 2016

http://bit.ly/1W1PozZ

that serves as the digital measurement standard for

From Amazon to Uber, the Internet does a great job upending business

publisher transparency, effectiveness, and quality. Built

models. In the publishing world, mommy blogs can compete for ad

specifically for the benefit of advertisers, Trust Metrics

dollars with the likes of Cond Nast, and a Candy Crush app can make

provides standardized or customized ratings and reviews

of any site or page. These ratings are designed for easy
application in any ad ops process; direct, through a
network, or in RTB. To generate the ratings, Trust Metrics
utilizes a wide range of proprietary technology to collect,
store and apply its unique database of features to ensure
that ads appear in relevant, appropriate and effective
environments.

as much money or more as one from CNN.

For someone getting into digital content creation, the Internet can
seem like a place where anyone can achieve the American dream, as
long as you know how to place high in the Google search rankings.
Its different for advertisers. When advertisers try to make a media
plan for brand lift or product sales, theyre not looking at the nearly
infinite choice of content placements with the excitement of joining
the next Oklahoma land rush. Many feel the fear of a family that just
landed in the middle of the Wild West.

For more information, visit http://www.trustmetrics.com.

Thats because were not in a period of democracy, where everyone

is represented equally. Its a period of sustained anarchy, where there
are no rules and no one gets a fair deal. Since the digital market lacks
standard controls compared to traditional channels, such as TV and
print, advertisers are left to navigate on their own. The many solutions
that advertisers purchase to control for bots, nonviewable ads and ad
blocking are akin to hiring a vigilante squad.

12

As in the real Wild West, avoiding anarchy is complicated. If marketers

Read Publisher Signals: Bad publishers throw off lots of signals, such as

choose to advertise on digital, theyre subject to all of its problems.

pages with many ads and little content, or extremely low engagement

Avoiding fraud and other issues is more complicated than sticking to

times. Some signals indicate fraud, while others are simply quality

the comScore 200. Big premium publishers have had to contend with

controls to protect a brand.

more and more competition, and they havent always used the best
practices to stay afloat. Advertisers who might previously have bought

Marketers should create a list of the signs of a bad publisher and see

only top-tier inventory may now find that their viewability or fraud

how many boxes each publisher checks. Sites with poor layout and

issues are just as bad as advertisers who buy across the webs long tail.

design and content thats not consistent with your brand message are
signals that your brand doesnt belong.

Like a sheriff coming in to clean up the town, advertisers must

establish firm rules to protect their brand and maximize their media

If they arent updating content frequently, or if theyre represented by

spend. The best place to start is with the fundamentals that have made

shady advertising middlemen, the chances of fraud go up.

other channels successful for many years.

Ultimately, the advertiser is responsible for ensuring that its dollars
Get Real About Scale: Last year Google reported that 56% of

are spent wisely.

impressions went unseen. That means that a lot of publishers allowed

fraud on their sites. It also means that a lot of advertisers were

The best way to clean up web anarchy is to stop paying for it.

duped into thinking they could reach double the audience without
confirming that reach with fail-safe measurements.
Impressions may seem infinite online, but humans are not. If reaching
actual humans is the goal, then advertisers need to focus on viewable
frequency. Like any other marketing channel that is ruled by total
audience reach, digital advertising must use more realistic audience
metrics.
Be Exclusive, Not Inclusive: You wouldnt tell a visitor how not to get
to your house. The same is true with media buying.
On TV, a high-end brand would never allow their ads to air during
Jerry Springer, yet online some of those same brands are routinely
spotted on low-quality websites. While some media buyers use
blacklists, they simply tell your media-buying team what not to do.
Such massive choice leaves the door open for new bad actors to slip
into the mix.
Rather than tell their agency what not to buy, marketers should direct
them to the right places, even if this limits their scale. Many perfectly
good publishers have enough bad placements that advertisers are
better off putting their foot down and taking them off the plan entirely
if they cant be guaranteed a quality placement.

13

Frost Prioleau | Simpli.fi CEO

New Conversion Zones from Simpli.fi Enable

Advertisers to Easily Track Store Visits
Driven by Mobile Advertising Campaigns
Simpli.fi Press Release

Simpli.fi is an advertising technology company that simpli-

| March 48 2016

http://bit.ly/1Tettyq

fies digital advertising through the use of unstructured

data. Our In.finity Programmatic Marketing Platform
enables marketers to use unstructured data to extract

Simpli.fi, the company that brings the power of programmatic advertising

to localized campaigns, today announced Conversion Zones, which

unlimited value from real-time bidding (RTB) advertis-

enable businesses to track store traffic driven by mobile advertising

ing exchanges. With In.finity, advertisers can target, bid,

campaigns. Conversion Zones are customizable geo-fences around a

optimize and report at the data element level.

For more information, visit http://www.simpli.fi

location that identify the number of consumers that received the business
mobile advertisement and then physically visit the location. By tracking
this way, Conversion Zones allow advertisers to more accurately gauge
and optimize the effectiveness of their mobile advertising campaigns.
By 2020 more than 72 percent of digital ad spend will be focused on mobile
devices, according to a 2015 eMarketer study. Simpli.fis Conversion
Zones use Simpli.fis unstructured data capabilities to target locations
more precisely than grid-based systems. The power of precise location
targeting combined with accurate conversion attribution gives advertisers
a way to capitalize on the opportunity mobile represents while measuring
the effectiveness of their localized mobile campaigns.
Simpli.fis Conversion Zones:

Build off of Simpli.fis Geo-Fencing capabilities, which the company

brought to market in 2015.

Enable advertisers to easily track Cost Per Visit and Total Visit Rate

14

(TVR) for all their mobile geo-fenced campaigns.

Leverage Simpli.fis massive data network and using interdevice matching to increase data signals and scale campaigns
without having to expand the geo-targeted location making both
Conversion Zones and Geo-Fencing highly scalable.

Provide precise tracking as they enable businesses to draw

custom geo-shapes and track only those individuals that cross
into those boundaries.

Extend Simpli.fis industry leading capabilities in localized

programmatic advertising.

As the only programmatic platform that bids, optimizes and reports

using unstructured data, including recency, across all inventory types,
Simpli.fi is the most effective platform for localized campaigns at any
scale.

15

RAJ AGGARWAL | Localytics CEO

Localytics Aligns with Salesforce to

Bring Deeper Intelligence to Marketing
Automation

Localytics is the leading marketing and analytics platform

Localytics Press Release

for mobile and web apps. Localytics works with some of

http://bit.ly/1W1Q08E

the worlds most well-known brands, like eBay, Salesforce,

Microsoft and The New York Times, helping them create
great experiences for their customers and maximizing
profitability, engagement, lifetime value and loyalty.

| April 6, 2016

Localytics, a leading mobile engagement platform, today announced

it is working with Salesforce to bring deeper intelligence to marketing
automation by integrating the Localytics platform with Salesforce
Marketing Cloud. The integration enables companies to strengthen

Localytics provides analytics and marketing for more than

their marketing automation strategies by sharing rich customer data

1 billion devices across more than 20,000 apps. Localytics

for deeper targeting and for developing cross-channel journeys that

headquarters are located in Boston, MA.

reach mobile users at all stages of their lifecycle.

For more information, visit http://www.localytics.com

Salesforce is committed to helping our customers build the best

relationships with their users, says Bryan Wade, Chief Product
Officer of Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Were pleased to welcome
Localytics to our Partner Program to help strengthen our customers
understanding of their users mobile moments.
The Localytics integration with Salesforce Marketing Cloud brings
together two rich sets of user data, advanced targeting capabilities and
access to key marketing channels, giving marketers more power for
their marketing automation. The integration synchronizes Localytics
mobile user data with Salesforce Marketing Cloud contact data,
enabling customers to use the mobile data for better targeting of
email campaigns. Likewise, Salesforce Marketing Cloud contact data
is shared with Localytics user profiles, which can then be combined

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with Localytics mobile analytics and marketing channels like push

and in-app messaging, for creating personalized mobile engagement
campaigns.
Companies can use the integration for engaging users and building
better cross-channel experiences by:

Sending opt-in emails to contacts from Salesforce Marketing

Cloud who have disabled push notifications

Emailing app users who have been identified as high app churn
risks in the Localytics platform

Creating multi-touch, cross-channel marketing campaigns

targeted at people with low Net Promoter Scores

Localytics delivers a high level of mobile marketing and user insights

in the marketing automation cloud, said Raj Aggarwal, CEO of
Localytics. Were excited to partner with Salesforce to bring a deeper
level of intelligence to our shared customers, helping them to create
personalized, relevant experiences for their users.

17

BETTINA HEIN | Pixability CEO

Pixability Announces Media Industry

Veteran Nancy Lazaros as Chief Financial
Officer
Pixability Press Release

| January 19, 2016

http://bit.ly/1W1QwDt

Pixability is a YouTube-certified marketing and advertising

Video ad buying technology company, Pixability has announced the

software company that works with brands, e-commerce

appointment of Nancy Lazaros as Chief Financial Officer. Lazaros

firms, agencies, and innovative organizations to drive

business and awareness with online video and YouTube.
Using its powerful, proprietary, cloud-based video
marketing software and online video and community

brings 30 years of financial experience in the media technology sector

to Pixability, including 20 years serving as CFO at several advertising
technology solutions companies. Lazaros excels at developing scalable
financial models to drive rapid expansion, and has spearheaded several
complex acquisitions and successful exits throughout her career.

analytics databases, Pixabilitys certified and seasoned

team of YouTube professionals has worked with more than
500 customers, 10,000 YouTube channels, and 2.5 million
business and brand videos. Pixabilitys complimentary

Lazaros will lead financial strategy, operations and human resources

across Pixabilitys offices in Boston, Chicago, London, New York, and
San Francisco, and will manage the financial infrastructure to support
the companys global expansion. Pixability generated more than

Online Video Grader (onlinevideograder.com) provides

100% growth from 2014 to 2015, and is on track to propel growth

any organization with immediate metrics and analysis

in 2016 as the company extends its technology platform offerings.

of YouTube, web video, video search, and social video

Pixabilitys customer portfolio of global media agencies and their

effectiveness.

brand clients includes GroupM, Gucci, iProspect, LOral, PUMA, and

ZenithOptimedia.

For more information, visit http://www.pixability.com/

As Pixabilitys business accelerates a testament to increasing
market demand for effective and measurable video advertising
solutions Nancy fills a critical role on our executive leadership

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team, said Bettina Hein, Pixability Founder and CEO. Her breadth
of financial expertise in the media technology sector, from securing
venture financing, to executing complex acquisitions, to a successful
IPO, will be instrumental to Pixabilitys success in 2016 and beyond.
Prior to Pixability, Lazaros spent three years as the first CFO of video
advertising management and distribution solutions provider, Extreme
Reach Inc., where she directed the finance, accounting and human
resources departments; and before that served as CFO of digital
marketing technology company, x+1 Solutions, where she helped
transform the business into a successful SaaS company. Additionally,
Lazaros was previously CFO of mobile ad network and ad delivery
platform, Third Screen Media Inc., where she led the company to its
successful sale to AOL/TW; and CFO of online marketing research
and planning platform, @Plan Inc., where she spearheaded the
companys 1999 IPO and subsequent sale to DoubleClick.
Throughout my career, I have chosen to join media companies with
robust solutions, in industries primed for disruption, said Lazaros.
Pixability fit the bill with a proven video ad buying technology and
a unique value proposition built around premium video platforms
within the dynamic and growing online video advertising industry.
Im excited to continue to build out Pixabilitys financial infrastructure
to guide the company to sustained success.

19

KATHY LEAKE | Qualia CEO & Founder

Merger of Qualia And BlueCava Brings

Together Users Multiple Devices With
What They Want To Buy
Published on MarketingLand

| January 25, 2016

http://mklnd.com/1W1OtPW

Qualia, formerly known as LocalResponse, an intent

Suppose there was a data engine that could determine which devices

targeting pioneer, empowers brand marketers with the

were owned by the same individual or household, and another data

ability to identify and respond to real-time declarations

engine that could tell what people were interested in buying.

of intent expressed over social media. Their IQ engine

creates a composite of multiple social signals from a

Youd want them to get together, right?

consumer and overlays our targeting capabilities to reach a

marketers most qualified audience. Their technology then

That, essentially, is what happened recently when cross-device tracker

retargets that consumer across any or all of their devices

BlueCava and intent targeting platform Qualia announced they were

(mobile, tablet, laptop, desktop) and platforms (web, app)

merging.

with any type of IAB- standard creative. In market since

2011, Qualia is led by Kathy Leake, CEO (co-founder

Lots of companies can provide some piece of the full data stack that a

Media6Degrees) and Niels Meersschaert, CTO (co-founder

modern marketer needs to identify consumers on their many devices,

of Magnetic) who are committed to defining the next

know what they want to buy, and know which ads work, Qualia CEO

generation of Intent targeting. Qualia is headquartered

Kathy Leake told me. But, she added, the combined company also

in NYC and has offices in Chicago, Los Angeles and San

called Qualia, and with her as CEO offers a capability that doesnt

Francisco.
For additional information, visit www.qualia-media.com.

really exist.
We are merging intent [data], mapping to multiple devices, and
closing the loop to multi-device attribution, she noted.
Qualia, which has specialized in tracking data indicating intent-to-

20

purchase, has a managed service for delivering ads, or it can provide

information by brands about their logged-in customers on sites or

its data to an ad delivery platform. BlueCava has previously only

apps. So, she said, it consists of authenticated users and is highly

provided data about matching multiple devices to the same household

accurate.

or individual, but the newly merged entity will be able to deliver either
targeting-data-only or data-with-ads.

Myers said BlueCava collects about 40 to 50 billion data points a day,

including IP addresses, location, time of use, device ID, behavior, and

Intent data can show, for instance, that someone has loaded a web

so on. If a smartphone checks on the New England Patriots at ESPN

page about sneakers, thus indicating they are probably interested in

on a winter morning in a given location, and a laptop checks on them

buying a pair.

again in the evening at the same location, the inference is that both
devices are owned the same user or household.

Mapping-to-devices infers that this smartphone, this tablet, this

laptop and other devices most likely belong to the same individual or

Although probabilistic that is, drawing inferences based on data

household. As the last step, attribution shows which device has made

he said BlueCava has a 90 percent or above accuracy in matching

a purchase, thus helping to determine which marketing spend drove

devices to the correct individual or household. Heres a BlueCava

the purchase.

screen summarizing how multiple devices are assigned to the same

user or household.

The new company says it can show non-click attribution, where the
sale is attributed even though it didnt result from a click on an ad.

Putting together those two batches intent and the device graph

For instance, an ad for a FitBit fitness tracker that is delivered to a

involves matching cookies, IP addresses, device IDs, locations

smartphone could be given credit for leading to a sale shortly thereafter

and other factors, Leake and Myers said. Although the companies

on a laptop. This is possible even if the ad was not clicked, because

have been partners for the last nine months, their technical platform

BlueCava determined both devices belonged to the same person and

integration is just beginning and they said they dont yet have a figure

made the logical inference.

as to the overall accuracy in matching intent to the multi-device user.

Matching The Data

Assuming your response came from a device and not, say, from
a walk-in sale at a bricks-and-mortar retailer, BlueCava CEO and
Chairman Phil Myers told me, were going to get it. He will join
the board of directors of the newly merged, New York City-based
company.
Now, he said, he can see whos in the market for a given product, in
addition to BlueCavas mapping of users to their multiple devices.
I can now [serve an ad to mobile phone] and see the conversion on
their laptop, Leake said.
These leaves two key questions: what kind of accuracy can this chain
produce, and how does the intent-to-purchase info about a user get
matched up with the multiple-devices-you-use?
Leake noted that Qualia ingests only first-party data that is,

21

RODNEY WILLIAMS | LISNR CEO & Founder

LISNR Chosen as Finalist for SXSW Music

& Audio Innovation Award
LISNR Press Release | February 8, 2016
http://bit.ly/1W1R4t6

Cincinnati-based audio communication company LISNR has been

LISNR is a mobile application that enhances experiences

named a finalist for the SXSW Music & Audio Innovation Award.

by uniquely engaging fans while their experiencing the

The award honors innovation that changes and improves the way

things that they love. LISNR turns audio into an interactive

platform, delivering mobile experiences to smartphones
based on LISNR enabled audio in the surrounding

people enjoy music. LISNR was nominated specifically for its work
with the Budweiser Made in America Music Festival. The Made
in America Festival app, powered by LISNR, provided real-time
information, proximity-based marketing messages and context-

environment. Currently, LISNR provides musicians with a

driven promotional offers to fans despite the limited connectivity that

new way to engage with their fans and provides advertisers

is common at large festivals.

a new way to partner with musicians through their music.

In just over a year, LISNR has secured game changing
programs for the nations top CPG, music, and media
entities.
For more information, visit http://lisnr.com/

LISNR was launched at SXSW, and the music industry has always
been part of our lifeblood, said Rodney Williams, founder and CEO.
Were thrilled to be a finalist for the award, and we have high hopes
of taking it home come March.
The idea for LISNR was forged on StartupBus 2012, a pitch competition
where entrepreneurs develop a business idea on the drive to SXSW
and pitch it upon arrival. Since then, LISNR has grown exponentially,
winning a Cannes Lion for Mobile Innovation, being named to the
CNBC Disruptor 50, and raising $10 million in Series B funding led
by Intel Capital. LISNRs high-profile clients include AEG, Visa and
Budweiser.

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LISNR is the worlds first and only data-over-audio solution. It creates

high frequency, inaudible Smart Tones that can be played by any
speaker and picked up by any microphone. This effectively turns any
speaker be it a stadium PA system or the TV in your living room
into a beacon that can trigger second-screen experiences on any
device. Unlike Bluetooth, iBeacons, or NFC, LISNR is not dependent
on hardware or connectivity, meaning that wherever sound can be
played, connections can be made.
The awards ceremony will be held March 15. Other finalists for the
award include DELQA, Pulse Solo, Trackd and Here Active Listening
System.

23

FIELD GARTHWAITE | IRIS.TV CEO & Co-Founder

IRIS.TV Named Top 50 Startup to Watch

in 2016
IRIS.TV News Release | January 27 2016
http://bit.ly/1W1RgZs

IRIS.TV Inc is a video recommendation engine that

Built in LA recently named IRIS.TV in their 2016 Top 50 Startups.

allows video publishers and content owners to generate

Last year, Los Angeles saw many rising trends. The advancements in

more video views in a continuous playback experience.

virtual reality technology created a mad scramble as companies fought

The software is designed to increase revenue and simplify

for position in the potentially game-changing industry. LA tech also

operations for web and mobile video distribution,

matching content based on audience preferences and

turned its attention toward real estate tech, utilizing the power of
crowdsourcing to revolutionize property investments.

user interactions. The companys core product Adaptive

But what does 2016 have in store? We have carefully selected 50 young

Stream(TM) delivers relevant content in a television-like

companies (all less than five years old) that we believe will make a big

experience, personalized to each viewers interests.

splash in the next 12 months:

For more information, visit www.iris.tv

Click to see the full list from BuiltinLA

IRIS.TV and VideoElephant to Provide

Publishers with Personalized Syndicated
Content
IRIS.TV News Release | January 27 2016
http://bit.ly/1W1RgZs

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IRIS.TV, the leading video personalization and programming platform

and premium video content provider VideoElephant, have partnered
to offer publishers personalized streams of premium syndicated
content.
Publishers using IRIS.TVs video programming platform have
been able to maximize ROI from their existing library through
personalization as monthly video views typically increase by an
average of 54%.
Our customers are dedicated to providing their users with a premium
content experience. The increasing demand for premium content has
exceeded many publishers abilities to create and supply it on their
own. With this partnership, publishers will be able to automate the
programming of premium syndicated content that is not only relevant
to the tastes and preferences of the user, but meets their brand and
editorial standards, said Robert Bardunias, CRO & co-founder, IRIS.
TV.
VideoElephant provides ready-to-monetize and brand-safe video
content solutions to publishers and ad tech globally. VideoElephant
has a vast library of video content containing over 500,000 videos
with 1,000 videos added per day. Content providers include Reuters,
National Geographic, IMG Sports, ITN, Press Association, Meredith,
Euronews and Disney/Maker Studios.
This partnership delivers the perfect packaged solution for publishers.
Our huge video library combined with the personalization capabilities
of IRIS.TVs video programming platform will drive increased views
for publishers and far greater opportunities for monetization. In the
current environment, now more than ever publishers are realizing that
providing users with quality video content is crucial to success and
this partnership will empower publishers to take their video offerings
to the next level. said Brian Cullinane, SVP Business Development &
Strategic Partnerships, VideoElephant.
Viewers of IRIS-enabled video players have the highest completion
rates in the market. Combining VideoElephants ability to source
premium content from their extensive library with IRIS.TVs ability to
program it to engaged users across all devices is a significant revenue
multiplier, added Bardunias.

25

ANDRE SWANSTON | Tru Optik CEO

Tru Optik and Experian Marketing

Services Introduce OTT-TV Measurement
Solution to Provide Digital TV Currency
TruOptik Press Release

| March 28, 2016

http://bit.ly/1W1RuQ6

Tru Optik is a digital media audience intelligence company

that empowers brand marketers, media companies, and

Tru Optik, the only audience measurement and data management

platform built for OTT and Connected TV, has partnered with

agencies with the insight and solutions needed to fully

Experian Marketing Services, a recognized leader in data-driven

monetize audience and consumer demand. Tru Optik

marketing and cloud-based marketing technology, to offer a service

boasts the industrys first and only integrated Data, DMP,

DSP and Analytics Technology Stack developed specifically
for media and entertainment audience and consumer
monetization. As consumer demand and interactions

providing real-time census-level viewer data for over-the-top (OTT)

TV programs and ad exposure across all screens. Tru Optik clients
will be able to measure and segment content and ad exposure based on
lifestyle, demographic and purchase behavior powered by Experians
ConsumerView marketing database.

constantly shift, we pride ourselves in anticipating and

quickly reacting to new data sources. We also have the
largest first party digital media consumption data set in the
world.
For more information, visit www.truoptik.com

Tru Optik has the worlds largest database of OTT media and
entertainment consumption. Experians ConsumerView is the worlds
largest and most accurate consumer marketing database. Together
this will allow for comprehensive metrics for valuing advertising on
OTT networks and platforms, and close a conspicuous gap in TV
audience measurement.
Its widely accepted that digital is the future of TV. One third of
Millennial television viewing already occurs over the top, mainly via
Connected TV (CTV) devices such as Roku, Apple TV, smart TVs
and gaming consoles that stream OTT content to TV screens. While

26

OTT offers the possibility of reaching TV viewers with unprecedented

Marketing Services.

precision, barely one percent of TV advertising dollars flow through

OTT.

Tru Optik is careful to distinguish its offering from traditional

audience measurement products. This is not a panel based ratings

Tru Optik has identified three reasons why advertising dollars are not

service, said Swanston. With respect to media companies and

catching up to viewership:

marketers, your data belongs to you; it is not part of a Co-op.

No measurement advertisers have no visibility to OTT ad

exposure, and cant relate it to other media;

Experian Marketing Services is far and away the industry leader in

Fuzzy targeting the advertising industry relies on cookies or

audience creation for addressable TV, connecting advertisers to 100

SDKs (device-specific software development kits) to capture

percent of the household-level addressable TV operators in the U.S.

consumer data for ad targeting. However, CTV is a cookie-less

said David Wiesenfeld, Tru Optiks Chief Strategist. With Tru Optik

ecosystem accessible via dozens of devices, rendering cookies

already having the worlds largest media consumption database, the

useless making SDKs impractical;

addition of purchase, preference, and profiling information from

No attribution lack of measurement means theres no way to

Experian will give clients unmatched insight into their audiences and

connect OTT ad expenditures to desired outcomes like purchases.

marketing efficacy.

Tru Optik CEO, Andre Swanston, sums up the problem neatly: If

you cant fully measure it, you cant fully monetize it. Tru Optiks
technology and first-party data combined with Experians data will
enable media companies and advertisers to understand and value
audiences for OTT content. In other words, it will provide the
currency that is necessary to truly open not only the OTT ad market,
but also provide better insight as to the value of product placement
and licensing of content to subscription video services like Netflix and
Amazon.
By providing census-level audience measurement and profiling
data for programming and ad exposure across OTT platforms and
connected devices, Tru Optik and Experian Marketing Services have
removed all three barriers to OTT advertising and monetization. Tru
Optik and Experian Marketing Services use cookie-less methods that
allow anonymous, aggregated behavior and profile information to be
connected and protected across all digital devices belonging to the
same individuals or households, including CTV. This enables cross
device OTT and addressable campaign analysis, which is critical for
accurate attribution.
Tru Optik is at the forefront of empowering media companies and
brands to harness the power of CTV. By partnering with Experian they
are adding a trusted and reliable source of audience and consumer
data to enhance their measurement and segmentation ability, said
Kevin Dean, President and General Manager of Targeting, Experian

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