Samba Ads has closed an investment round of US$500,000.
A sort of “spin-off” of Samba Tech, Samba Ads is an online video ad network aimed at both advertisers and publishers. The company launched last year and already works with numerous regional and international advertisers. It ran 100 million video ads in its network during 2012 alone. With this investment, the startup will position itself to become a leader in Latin America’s video advertising space.
Initial Capital, e.bricks Digital, 500 Startups and Rhodium participated in this latest round of funding, and Groupon’s Florian Otto has invested in the company in the past.
“We strategically chose each investor based on their business experience in the advertising industry to match our knowledge of the local market, thus making a unique contribution in putting Samba Ads at the front of the promising business of video advertising in Latin America,” remarked Rodrigo Paolucci, Samba Ads CEO.
Thus far, Samba Ads certainly seems to be on the right track. Thanks to its premium network of advertisers and publishers and innovative segmentation technologies, it is a stand-out among its competitors. What’s more, Samba Ads utilizes interactive ad formats like surveys, ad selectors and click-to-buy to increase user engagement, and it works hand-in-hand with clients to constantly improve results.
Brazil and Video: A Perfect Pair?
Brazil is among the top 10 video markets in the world, with 82% video penetration among internet users. In December 2012, Brazil’s online video audience reached 43 million unique viewers. Overall, the country spends US$12 billion each year on the internet.
Giving these statistics, the potential of video advertising in the country and region as a whole cannot be downplayed.
“Video advertising is a reality. We are in a transition period between market evangelism and the mass use of this means of advertising by agencies and media buyers. The Samba Ads investment will certainly contribute to the consolidation of the startup’s growth and to the maturation of the market,” said Gustavo Caetano, CEO of Samba Tech. “This group of investors couldn’t have been chosen better, and I am confident that, together with the market experience of the Samba Ads team, the company has all it needs to solidify its leadership in the Latin American market.”
