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NEW YORK Motorola's venture capital division has made an undisclosed strategic investment in Invidi, a start-up technology firm that promises to improve TV ad targeting. In December, Invidi received a similar cash infusion from several investors, including WPP Group's GroupM. At that time, GroupM's chief executive Irwin Gotlieb was named to Invidi's board of directors. The eight-year-old Invidi is one of several technology companies looking to conquer the emerging "addressable television" sector. Theoretically, Invidi's product allows advertisers to target specific TV ads to viewers based on their age, location, sex and other factors, enhancing the effectiveness of the medium for brands. "Addressable television advertising is a growing field that will change the future media landscape," said William Reinisch, vp, New Initiatives, Motorola strategy group.
Motorola Invests in Ad Tech Firm Invidi
In a sign the recession is reigniting consolidation in the mobile-advertising industry, SmartReply, which designs telephone and email marketing programs for retailers, is acquiring mobile-ad firm mSnap. Under terms of the deal, which people familiar with the matter expect to be announced Monday, mSnap's shareholders, which include Partech International and First Round Capital, will get a minority stake in SmartReply, based in Irvine, Calif. MSnap is one of scores of small companies that have sprung up in recent years on the assumption that advertisers would be eager to reach consumers on their mobile phones.
Mobile-Ad Firm Gets Hitched - WSJ.com
Google Buys Russian Contextual Ads Service for $140m
Mike Butcher is the European Editor for TechCrunch. A former grunge rock drummer, he became a long time journalist, and has since written for UK national newspapers and magazines including The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The New Statesman. Mike is also involved in a project to bring European technology entrepreneurs and investors together... → Learn More BREAKING NOW: Google is buying Russian contextual advertising company ZAO Begun for $140 million from UK-registered Rambler Media (many Russian firms now base themselves in the UK).
