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☆ EXCLUSIVE Google faces EU antitrust charges over its adtech business - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Alphabet (GOOGL.O) unit Google could face antitrust charges next year over its digital advertising business, with EU regulators frustrated over the slow pace of settlement talks with the company, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The European Commission launched an investigation into Google's adtech business in June last year, concerned that the U.S. tech giant may be getting an unfair advantage over rivals and advertisers. Google has racked up more than 8 billion euros ($7.7 billion) in EU antitrust fines in the last decade. The EU competition enforcer is likely to issue the charges early next year although the timing may still change, one of the people said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Foo Yun Chee, additional reporting by Paresh Dave in Oakland, California; Editing by Susan Fenton and David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Netflix says that its new ad-supported tier is 'nearly' sold out — here's everything we know about the November 3 US launch
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Lauren Johnson | Elizabeth Pham Janowski | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Netflix will launch its ad-supported tier in the US on November 3. The new ad-supported tier will not have the full Netflix catalog and will offer video quality up to 720p. NetflixThe ad-supported tier will be offered in 12 countries, beginning with Canada and Mexico on November 1. Gorman said that partners like Microsoft will only be able to use data collected by the ad-supported tier for targeting within Netflix. Advertisers said they expect prices to drop once Netflix's ad-supported tier launches, as has been typical with other streaming services like NBCUniversal's Peacock.

☆ Check out the pitch deck in-game advertising company Bidstack used to raise $11 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

In-game adtech company Bidstack recently raised an $11 million post-IPO equity round. Check out the key slides from the pitch deck that helped Bidstack land its latest investment. Founded in 2015, Bidstack started as an adtech company that helped advertisers buy space on digital billboards, using programmatic technology. Bidstack posted a loss of 6.3 million pounds ($6.9 million) last year and grew revenue by 55% to 2.6 million pounds ($2.9 million). Check out the key slides from the pitch deck that helped Bidstack snag $11 million in investment.

☆ These 15 top Microsoft Advertising execs are behind the company's plan to double its ad revenue to $20 billion
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Ryan Joe | Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Microsoft posted $10 billion in ad revenue last year and it's positioning itself to double that to $20 billion. It's signed a deal to sell ads for Netflix and is building out its Xbox ads division. But recently, Microsoft has shown signs it's regaining its advertising mojo. Microsoft posted $10 billion in ad revenue last year, and Wilk recently told Insider he plans to double that number to $20 billion, though he didn't say when. And ads are a feature in Microsoft's pending $68.7 billion deal to acquire "Call of Duty" games publisher Activision.

☆ Google and Warner execs invested in this adtech startup's $15 million funding round. Here's the exclusive 12-slide pitch deck they used to raise.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Lunio, an adtech startup, announced a $15 million funding round on Thursday. Check out the 12-slide pitch deck the company used to raise in this Insider exclusive. An adtech startup, dubbed Lunio, announced a $15 million Series A funding round on Thursday. Apart from Google and Warner execs, other investors in the Series A raise include venture capital fund Smedvig Capital Partner. Check out the 12-slide pitch deck the company used to raise in this Insider exclusive.

Insider asked 12 top VCs what ad and marketing tech companies excited them the most this year. Check out the 19 most promising adtech startups, and what they do that makes them unique. It hopes to raise a Series A funding round in the coming months. Emperia is currently raising its next funding round. Why it's on the list: Tech companies are being scrutinized for their wasting energy consumption, and the digital advertising industry is no exception.

☆ Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy are racing to capture a $9B opportunity by selling ads off their own sites — but it could destroy what makes retail advertising so unique
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It's extremely important to snatch this new opportunity now, as more retailers leap into ad sales. Insider Intelligence, which is owned by Insider, expects for retailers' offsite ad revenue to grow from $5 billion this year to $8.5 billion in 2024. Brian Gleason, the company's chief revenue officer, said offsite ads open up new programmatic ad budgets for retailers. But in pursuing offsite ad sales, retailers risk undermining the main draw of their ad-selling business. But companies that sell ads off their own sites have difficulty proving that ads drove someone to do something.

☆ A hacker turned serial entrepreneur who built an ad platform for streaming TV just raised $6.75M and plans to mimic Google's playbook by courting smaller advertisers
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Lindsay Rittenhouse | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The startup makes running ads on streaming TV simpler and cheaper for small to mid-sized businesses. Vibe, which measures how streaming TV ads perform for small to mid-sized businesses, raised $6.35 million in seed funding from French venture capital firm Elaia Partners. Its technology lets advertisers create and run campaigns by themselves on streaming TV platforms. Quérou added that Vibe does not compete with public adtech companies like The Trade Desk, which works with larger TV advertisers. Quérou also previously founded Motionlead, a creator of playable ad units that is now part of app retargeting platform Adikteev.

☆ I delete 1,000 unread emails a day. Here's how I weed through messages and got over the anxiety of missing an important one.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Robin Madell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

She says that on an average day she receives and deletes 1,000 emails. I'll often delete 1,000 emails a day, mostly from sales representatives, vendors, and lenders. I'm on all client and internal aliases, which tend to contribute to a majority of my daily emails. I know that my team is able to handle anything urgent or bring the issue directly to me if necessary. It's rarely the case that I would need to be the one to address team or client emails because of the way we structure teams at Constellation.

☆ Here's an exclusive look at the pitch deck for Immortal Game, the Web3 chess startup that raised $12 million during the crypto winter
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Web3 chess startup Immortal Game has raised $15 million, including a $12 million Series A this year. Crypto has its fair share of skeptics, but there's no arguing against the worldwide popularity of chess, according to Thomas Zaepffel, the cofounder and CEO of Immortal Game. Immortal Game, founded in March 2021 by Zaepffel, CTO David Cingala and COO Geoffroy Mestrallet, offers players the opportunity to earn crypto and sponsor up-and-coming chess talent. But Immortal Game, like other Web3 startups, seeks to set itself apart on the premise that its users should reap rewards from the platforms they popularize. Here's a look at the pitch that helped Zaepffel and his cofounders seal the deal.

☆ Retail tech firm Swiftly just became the latest startup to enter the unicorn club. Meet the 6 other adtech firms that reached $1 billion valuations despite the economic downturn.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Elizabeth Pham Janowski | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Retail tech firm Swiftly is the latest unicorn after a $100 million funding round in September. It was the company's second $100-million funding round in the past six months. SwiftlyUnicorn as of: September 2022Total funding to date: $210 million, according to SwiftlyMost recent valuation: $1.1-1.2 billion, according to SwiftlyFive-year-old Swiftly is the newest adtech startup to enter the unicorn club. Its rise to over $1 billion value came from a $100 million Series C round led by BRV Capital Management, announced Monday. In February, the six-year-old company closed on a $150 million Series C funding round led by Tiger Global Management.

☆ Walmart is bolstering its $2 billion ad biz by selling ads on TikTok and Roku, as rivals like Kroger are also pushing to sell ads in other platforms
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart data can now power ads on TikTok, Roku, and Snap. Walmart's $2 billion ad business just got a major shot in the arm amid heated competition from retailers like Kroger and Amazon. Walmart data can now power ads on TikTok, Roku, and Snap. This is the first time it will power ad sales on other sites, said Rich Lehrfeld, SVP and GM of the retailer's ad arm Walmart Connect. BCG estimates that retail media will be a $100 billion market by 2026; ad agency GroupM has an even more ambitious forecast, saying retail media will hit $160 billion by 2027.

☆ Barry Diller's IAC is on the hunt for deals as company valuations fall and CEO Joey Levin sees opportunity in downturn
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Barry Diller's IAC is back on the hunt for deals as companies are seeing lower valuations. CEO Joey Levin said IAC has $1.5 billion to spend and plans to leverage a tough operating environment. In September, its combined Dotdash Meredith unit continued a multi-month string of pro forma revenue declines, posting a 24% decrease. With many company valuations having come down, Levin noted, IAC has the potential to bet on a broader array of businesses than it has before. We could still be right or wrong, but if we're right, we can create value," Levin said.

☆ 14 influential Microsoft execs powering its advertising business as it prepares to make a splash with Netflix and Xbox ads
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-31 | by ( Ryan Joe | Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Microsoft posted $10 billion in ad revenue last year and it's poised to grab a bigger share of the ad market. It's signed a deal to sell ads for Netflix and is building out its Xbox ads division. Insider identified 14 of the most influential ad execs at Microsoft that marketers should know. Microsoft is also working on a plan to place ads inside free-to-play Xbox games. And ads are a feature in Microsoft's pending $68.7 billion deal to acquire "Call of Duty" games publisher Activision.

☆ Meet 18 private-equity firms that are investing in the ad industry, where dealmaking continues despite economic jitters
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-11 | by ( Lindsay Rittenhouse | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Private equity firms continue to pour money into ad agencies, despite the slowing economy. And while rising interest rates could dampen dealmaking for the rest of 2022, PE firms are still sitting on $1.6 trillion they're looking to invest, according to the firm. More PE firms have been entering the sector, managing director Marc Flor of investment bank Berkery, Noyes & Co., has said. Specifically, private equity is eyeing digital agencies and adtech companies with subscription-based models that aren't tied to ad spending cycles, Master said. Representatives for the PE firms either declined to comment or didn't respond to requests for comment unless otherwise noted.

☆ US lawmakers want to probe whether online advertising poses a national security threat
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-10 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Director of National Intelligence has been asked to assess the "foreign weaponization" of adtech data. US lawmakers have asked the Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to investigate whether "foreign weaponization" of widely available adtech data poses a national security risk, a move that has the potential to deal a major blow to the online ad industry. The ODNI and the office of Chairman of the National Intelligence Committee Rep. Adam Schiff, who filed the amendment, didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. US government agencies themselves have used data from advertising auctions to track mobile phones. "Furthermore, brands — especially those with government contracts — may face a moral dilemma in funding an ecosystem that is deemed to be a threat to national security."

☆ Streaming services are in a land grab for TV ad dollars. Here's a rundown of what HBO Max, Peacock, and others are offering and what they charge.
▼ + stars: | 2022-06-13 | by ( Lauren Johnson | Lindsay Rittenhouse | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Competition for streaming TV ad dollars is heating up. The battle for streaming TV dollars is heating up. Amazon wants to make a big push into TV advertising, and recently hosted its first in-person NewFronts event to pitch its streaming TV offerings. Two ad buyers said that Hulu is looking to up its ad prices this year and compete for larger budgets. Ad prices vary significantly based on the amount of data and targeting that advertisers use, according to ad buyers.

☆ Cannabis adtech startup Fyllo is making its third acquisition to branch into crypto and e-sports
▼ + stars: | 2022-04-12 | by ( Tanya Dua | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Data compliance software startup Fyllo has acquired audience targeting company Semasio. Semasio will enable Fyllo to expand internationally and into regulated industries beyond cannabis. The acquisition comes just months after Fyllo closed its $40 million Series C round in late 2021. Semasio also helps Fyllo expand its international footprint and scope. Its cookieless audience targeting software helps marketers understand and reach their audiences across 30 languages and 50 countries, said Kasper Skou, Semasio's cofounder and CEO.

☆ A lack of transparency creates a 'breeding ground of insecurity,' according to one tech CEO
▼ + stars: | 2021-03-15 | by ( May Teng | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

TVSquared CEO Calum Smeaton has centered his leadership around transparency, and it's paid off. It's crucial to communicate often and maintain transparency even as a company grows, Smeaton says. Calum Smeaton, founder and CEO of UK-based adtech company TVSquared, is one of many leaders who has decided to squarely center their paradigm on transparency. "If you're not transparent, that's where you create a breeding ground for insecurity." "Transparency is really easy when you're 10 or 15 people all in the same office," Smeaton added.

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