Brainient raises $1.8 million funding and announces the opening of a New York Office

Creativity, Digital & Media

Brainient, UK-based video advertising technology company, announced it has closed $1.8 million in funding from a collective of strategic investors. The round was led by Prague-based Credo Ventures. Other backers include Atlas Venture (investors in DataXu, AdSafe Media, OwnerIQ) and Estag Capital (investors in RevenueMax, Germany’s leading yield optimization platform). Existing investors Sherry Coutu and 500 Startups also participated in the round.

The capital will be used to expand the company’s client services and technology teams, by expanding its offices in London and Bucharest and opening a new office in New York.

Brainient’s technology helps advertisers increase the engagement and performance of their video adverts through the company’s two products: BrainRolls, an interactive video platform that enables advertisers to insert rich-media interactive elements into their video ads and BrainAds, the first and only personalised video retargeting platform in the world.

The company has enjoyed exceptionally strong growth through 2011, with nearly 100 campaigns served over the year for customers like Samsung, Volvo, Canon, GetTheLabel and GlassesDirect. BrainRolls generated, on average, three to five times higher CTRs than noninteractive pre-rolls, and customers saw click-to-sale conversion rates of up to 10% with Brainient’s personalised video retargeting platform, BrainAds.

Last year was a very strong year for Brainient and gaining investors with local insight and knowledge from the world’s largest video markets – the US, UK and Germany – will be extremely valuable to us as we scale the company globally

Emi Gal,

Co-Founder & CEO Brainient

We believe that Brainient’s products will help advertisers increase the effectiveness of their video advertising campaigns while improving the viewing experience for consumers. It’s an exciting company in the world’s fastest growing advertising medium and we’re thrilled to be part of it

Ondrej Bartos

Partner Credo Ventures and member in Brainient’s Board

Based in Prague, Czech Republic, Credo Ventures is a venture capital firm established in 2009 with the goal to become a premiere venture capital firm investing in early stage companies in the fields of Internet, IT and Health in Central Europe. Credo Ventures believes in entrepreneurship and the ability to take Central European projects and companies from zero to success on a global scale. Credo Ventures builds upon strong international relationships; its Advisory Board is headed by technology visionary and investor Esther Dyson and its Investment Committee Chairman is Markus Pedriks, a PE/VC industry veteran.