Small Business Technology News
Taiwanese Ad Tech Startup Receives $6 Million Funding
Written by Tim Morral
Published: 6/23/2014
An early investor in some of the world's most famous tech companies, including Apple, Linkedin and Google, Sequoia Capital puts its latest investment in the cross-screens marketing solutions provider Appier. How will this change mobile marketing?
Taipei-based company Appier, which leverages artificial intelligence to help businesses and brands push their ads to the right people, has raised $6 million funding round from Sequoia Capital.
Appier, an advertising technology startup, offers an ad optimization engine that leverages big data, artificial intelligence and real-time bidding to ensure advertisements reach their target audiences.
The engine works by tracking mobile use and detecting screen type and time of use. This can help improve mobile advertising for small businesses. If a user consistently uses her phone during the morning hours, the engine will deduce that the woman is commuting during this time and display an ad for a coffee shop.
Appier CEO Chi-Han Yu is a Taiwan native that spent 10 years working in artificial intelligence labs at Harvard and Stanford University. Yu told TechCrunch he wants to use funding to finance product development and further research for the company's integrated cross-screen targeting platform, and to expand international sales offices. He primarily wants to focus on expanding in Asia due to its rapidly growing mobile use.
"For market opportunity, I think there is a huge growth in the region for mobile and multi-screen marketing," Yu said. "Advertisers need a solution to reach targeted audiences via 'optimal screen.' I think there will be more and more demand."
Managing Director of Sequoia Capital Shailendra Singh said there has been a paradigm shift in buyer behavior due to smartphones and tablets. Since consumers are surrounded by multiple screens at any given time, she said she believes it has become imperative for marketers to reach their audiences at the right time with the right message.
"In Appier, we have a potential game changer that addresses this challenge and, with a talented and multi-dimensional team led by Chih-Han Yu, we are certain that Appier will redefine marketing in the digital age," Singh said.
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