Samba Networks (formerly Samba Mobile) offers a B2B mobile video ad player that integrates into third‑party apps, enabling users to earn in‑app credits or mobile top‑ups in exchange for watching ads. The company pivoted last year from a consumer model that offered free 3G for ad views to a B2B insertion play. Its product is integrated into apps including Kik Messenger, Freetone and Recharge Me, and it claims a combined reach of 50 million daily active users across partners. Samba is serving ads in six markets — the U.S., U.K., Germany, Italy, Sweden and Norway — and works with mobile ad supply partners including YuMe and Millennial Media. Ads delivered via its tech gained more than two million views last month and cumulatively 10 million views post‑pivot; CEO Ben Atherton says run‑rate revenue now exceeds total pivot funding. The company plans additional app integrations (including one with 50M–100M daily actives due in Q1) and expects two more ad partners to be plugged into the network this quarter. Samba Mobile offers free 3G mobile broadband credits to desktop, laptop and tablet users who watch video ads via a personalised dashboard, delivering credits redeemable on the Three network. Users earn 3.5MB of data per completed ad view and must purchase a Samba Micro‑SIM (£5) or SIM and dongle (£25) to use connectivity; paid top‑ups are also available. The service launched in the U.K. in July and has grown to roughly 6,000 users and more than one million ad views per month, with reportedly high engagement metrics such as above‑average CTRs, shares and dwell times. Brand advertisers served via social ad aggregators and display networks have included Toyota, Levi’s, Nivea, Dove and Volvo. The company plans to use the latest funding to enhance its brand engagement platform by adding social features, ad rankings and short‑form premium content accessible via ad‑view credit. Samba says future product work will include social recommendation features that surface content and ad preferences of similar users and expand focus further into mobile.

Total raised

$2M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Jan 2015