• Veenome

  Participated · Equity · Nov 2012

  Veenome provides ad networks with a platform to monitor and audit publishers and gives publishers tools to understand their own video content. The company offers a data-as-a-service product that translates video into machine-readable data. Its core API automatically identifies visual content in video and returns tags, keywords, categories and other metadata. The output is designed to increase ROI for video platforms, publishers and advertising networks. Led by CEO Kevin Lenane and based in Arlington, VA, Veenome intends to use new funds to continue expanding its business and tech development headcount. The company has raised $2M to date. Veenome analyzes video content to translate it into machine-readable, actionable data for ad targeting, analytics and SEO. Its technology divides videos into IAB-based categories, identifies objectionable or copyrighted content, and tags brands, products and faces. That data enables smarter ad targeting and campaign analytics; the company says it more than doubles CPM revenue for its customers. Veenome counts BrightRoll, Adtheorent and Videofy.me among its customers and has announced a partnership with BrightRoll. The startup has shifted strategy from selling to publishers toward working with video ad networks to achieve wider reach, according to CEO Kevin Lenane. Financially, Veenome announced $600,000 in new funding, bringing total disclosed funding to $1.1 million. Veenome builds proprietary automated video-recognition technology that scans video clips for products, brands and objects and tags and indexes them. Once identified, items can be linked to associated content such as e-commerce storefronts or social media to enable in-video purchases. The company differentiates itself by automatically crawling sites and overlaying ads via a plugin rather than requiring manual tagging, with plugins planned for major blog platforms (WordPress, Drupal) and some custom channels. Veenome is running a beta test with participants that include major global publishers and video providers. It says the new funding will be used to enhance its recognition algorithms and APIs for early customers. The business model resembles AdWords: advertisers bid on tags and revenue is split 70% to publishers, 25% to Veenome, and 5% to video creators. Founded by CEO Kevin Lenane and CTO David Geller, the founders bring prior product and CEO experience.

• SocialToaster, Inc.

  Participated · Series A · Jun 2012

  SocialToaster provides a platform used by enterprises to recruit and engage superfans and manage social-driven loyalty and promotion programs. The company recently closed a $1.9M bridge financing and plans to use the capital to expand into Los Angeles, New York and potentially London. It has acquired LA-based FLG Psyche, a marketing firm with a strong footprint in the electronic music scene whose software relies on influencers; the firms had collaborated for about 18 months. The acquisition adds five employees, bringing SocialToaster’s total headcount to 31. SocialToaster is also building a self-serve version of its platform to let smaller organizations and individuals connect with superfans without the legal and overhead costs of enterprise sweepstakes; that product is expected to be available in June. The company remains focused on its enterprise superfan management core while pursuing geographic expansion and a lower‑cost product for smaller customers. SocialToaster is a web startup and software platform that converts businesses’ and professional sports teams’ social media followers into "brand ambassadors" to drive website traffic. The company is based in Woodberry. The article reports SocialToaster was approved for a $200,000 investment from the state-run InvestMaryland fund late last month and is taking an additional $200,000 from the Propel Baltimore fund. Those commitments amount to $400,000 in funding referenced in the article. The report does not include operating metrics, valuation, or specific use of funds. As a Propel Baltimore recipient, SocialToaster would be expected to be located in or willing to relocate to Baltimore city and to have matching funds from other investors prior to receiving the Propel Baltimore money. SocialToaster is a Baltimore, Maryland–based provider of brand advocacy programs for media and entertainment brands, sports teams and other major brands. Its platform mobilizes loyal “Super Fans” by emailing them when a brand has blog posts, events, articles or promotions and prompting them to share that content across their selected social networks. The company is led by CEO Brian Razzaque. SocialToaster recently closed a $1.975M Series A following a $530K seed round last year. It intends to use the funding to hire salespeople, account managers and technical staff to enhance its product. The company also plans to expand its marketing efforts.

No current team members are available.