• Jivox Raises $8.2 Million to Fuel Interactive Video Ads

    Interactive video ad technology provider Jivox has raised an $8.2 million second round, led by Fortisure Ventures, with participation from existing investors. Diaz Nesamoney, Jivox's CEO and founder told me yesterday that the funds will be used to expand sales and marketing and further develop its technology platform.

    Jivox sees its differentiators as simplifying the process of creating interactive video ad across multiple devices for both in-banner (i.e. rich media) and in-stream (i.e. pre-roll, mid-roll, etc.) formats. Jivox also distinguishes itself with "BrandGage," its proprietary analytics platform that adds tags to all engagement opportunities in the ad and then maps them into a funnel to deliver higher ROIs. Diaz explained that click-through rates on Jivox ads can range from 2%-8%. He added that brands are demanding more social media integration in their ads, and the ability to serve and track user behavior across platforms and units has become very appealing.

    Jivox has raised almost $19 million to date. Campaigns using Jivox currently running include Showtime (for "Gold Rush"), Franklin Templeton and others.