Apsalar, which offers mobile ad buying and targeting tools, has raised $9 million in Series B funding.
The company launched in 2010, and CEO and co-founder Michael Oiknine told me it started out by offering free analytics for mobile app developers.
Apsalar then used that data to create anonymized user profiles, of which there are now 800 million. Those profiles, in turn, are used for ad targeting through Apsalar’s demand-side platform (namely, a platform for buying ads on multiple networks and exchanges).
“The key differentiation is we do audience targeting with our first party data to basically execute buys against these audiences,” Oiknine said. So for example, Apsalar could help an advertiser target “a highly relevant audience” that has “a high propensity to make in-app purchases.”
Oinknine added that Apsalar is particularly important because it can help advertisers reach valuable users across the currently fragmented mobile landscape. He predicted that the industry will see more consolidation through acquisitions, but he said Apsalar will be “very well-positioned” when that happens because of its data and targeting.
The new round was led by DCM, with participation from new investor Correlation Ventures and previous backers including Thomvest Ventures and DN Capital. Oinknine said one of his main reasons for taking money from DCM (which invests in both the US and Asia) is to expand in Asian markets. In the funding press release, DCM partner Osuke Honda described Apsalar as “definitely the player to watch in the mobile DSP space.”
Apsalar has now raised a total of $14 million.
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