The Venture Codex

Led · Equity · Apr 2015

Slidejoy provides an Android lock-screen feed that displays a news story, ad, or deal each time a user checks their phone, with swipe gestures to ignore, explore, or see additional cards. The company pays users a flat "rent"—currently up to $6 per month depending on advertiser availability—rather than rewarding per impression or click to limit abuse and protect advertiser KPIs. Slidejoy charges advertisers per impression or click depending on campaign goals and emphasizes 100% ad visibility and reduced accidental clicks. The app is just over a year old, has hundreds of thousands of downloads, and has worked with hundreds of advertisers including Macy's, Lyft, Clash of Clans, Toyota, Yahoo, and MeUndies, with many repeat customers. User feedback on payouts is mixed, and the team acknowledges the business faces a chicken-and-egg challenge between acquiring users and advertisers. Slidejoy is a five-person team operating in New York and Seoul and plans to use new funding to boost marketing and hire advertising sales staff.