Seedtag builds a cookie-free, AI-driven contextual advertising platform called LIZ that reads page content to match and serve ads without relying on third-party cookies. The technology uses algorithms to infer user interests from page context and serves relevant ads within content; the article notes it is unclear how Seedtag tracks effectiveness without cookies. Founded in Madrid in 2014 by ex-Googlers Jorge Poyatos and Albert Nieto, Seedtag has signed clients including Unilever brands, LG, and Levi's. The company positions itself as a privacy-first alternative amid the decline of cookies and is focused on scaling internationally, particularly into the U.S. Financially, Seedtag had raised around $46 million over the prior eight years and has now secured an equity investment of over €250 million (more than $252 million) from Advent International, with valuation undisclosed. Past investors remain shareholders and co-founder Albert Nieto will relocate to the U.S. to help drive expansion. Seedtag provides contextual advertising solutions powered by a proprietary machine-learning engine that can analyse 10,000 articles a minute to produce human-like understanding for targeting. The company operates on a cookie-less ethos designed for a privacy-first environment as third-party cookies become obsolete. Seedtag translates its content analysis into insights about consumer interests to deliver targeted ads for brands and publishers. It is a specialist in Europe and Latin America and has established relationships with brands such as Universal and Adidas, agencies including WPP and Havas, and publishers like the FT, The Guardian, and Sky. The platform reaches a combined audience of over 500 million unique users. Seedtag plans to use its recent funding to further develop its AI, onboard more publishers, and expand into the US market. Seedtag is a Madrid-based adtech startup that integrates advertising into online images. The company closed a €2 million funding round from Spanish, French, and Brazilian investors. It previously raised a €400,000 seed round in June 2014 and a €1.5 million Series A in September 2016 from Adara Ventures. Seedtag will use the funds to expand internationally, with a particular focus on Brazil where it is opening a new office. The startup also plans to use the financing to further develop its image-advertising technology. Seedtag, founded in mid-2014 by Jorge Poyatos and Albert Nieto, is a pioneer and leader of In-Image Advertising in Spain. Its image-based advertising formats are used by the majority of advertisers and it works with the country's leading publishers. The company's revenue grew almost tenfold year-over-year, reaching €3 million in 2016. Seedtag has a partnership with AppNexus to allow major DSPs access to its In-Image inventory and is investing in technology to enable programmatic In-Image Advertising. The founders plan to use capital to consolidate their position in Spain and replicate their success in Italy, France and Mexico. The team emphasizes making digital advertising more native and contextualized for users, advertisers and publishers.

Total raised

$297M

Funding rounds

4

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Jul 2022