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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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| Todd Beck or James Finch |
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| Beck Media & Marketing |
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| 310-689-7363 |
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| todd@beckmedia.com |
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Digitalsmiths Secures $6
Million In Venture Funding
The Aurora Funds and Chrysalis Ventures
Lead Series A Round
Raleigh-Durham, N.C. - (June 25, 2007)
– Digitalsmiths Corporation announced today that it has raised
a $6 million Series A round of funding from The Aurora Funds, Chrysalis
Ventures and individual investors. Digitalsmiths is the creator
of VideoSense, the first platform-agnostic broadband video contextual
advertising solution. The funding will enable Digitalsmiths to expand
its sales and marketing ranks and accelerate the deployment of VideoSense.
Broadband video is exploding, and content owners are cashing in
by making their content available across multiple platforms. According
to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, online video content is projected
to grow by 89% by the end of 2007. Moreover, online advertising
revenues grew by 35% in 2006 and are expected to reach over $4.8
billion this year. These trends have ad networks and broadband content
providers racing to implement automated solutions to capture their
share of the online video marketplace and contextual advertising
revenues. VideoSense is the key to unlocking new advertising inventory
and maximizing ad revenues for publishers.
Founded in 1998, Digitalsmiths’ first venture into digital
video asset management resulted in a suite of innovative video indexing
processes and technologies used by motion picture and television
companies to maximize the value of their library material by digitizing
video and making it easily searchable. Major film and TV studios
have used Digitalsmiths’ system, marketed under the InScene
brand name, to manage and exploit content including feature films
and television series. In 2007, the company, led by founder Ben
Weinberger and Chief Technology Officer Matt Berry, completed the
transformation of their technological innovations into VideoSense,
a patent-pending Internet video indexing and contextual ad-matching
solution.
This funding represents a tremendous vote of confidence in VideoSense
and recognizes the incredible revenue opportunities created by the
explosion of broadband video and online advertising,” said
Ben Weinberger, chief executive officer, Digitalsmiths Corporation.
“The Aurora Funds and Chrysalis Ventures are ideal partners
for our funding needs. They have proved invaluable in helping us
to establish new and productive relationships across our industry.”
“Digitalsmiths is a great complement to our portfolio,”
said Jan Bouten, Principal, The Aurora Funds. “In VideoSense,
Ben and Matt have created an impressive product that is a true distillation
of their collective experience in the digital media, entertainment
and technology arenas.”
Founded in 1994, The Aurora Funds is a venture capital firm that
provides capital, connections and strategic guidance to entrepreneurs
with early stage health care and information technology companies
in the Southeastern and mid-Atlantic United States. The firm manages
over $230 million in five venture funds. The firm's six investment
professionals have over 85 years of combined venture investing experience.
Wright Steenrod, Principal,
Chrysalis Ventures added, “Digitalsmiths’ offering will
enable marketers, ad platforms and networks to more efficiently
reach the online audience and generate revenue. This investment
matches an innovative product and a talented management team with
the rapidly growing broadband video market. It is a great fit for
our media and communications portfolio.”
Founded in 1993, Chrysalis Ventures is a leading source of equity
capital for young growth companies in the Southeast and Midwest.
Chrysalis invests primarily in early-stage and expansion-stage companies
in healthcare services and technology, media and communications,
and business services. Based in Louisville, Ky. Chrysalis has more
than $250 million under management and has made investments in over
50 companies.
About Digitalsmiths Corporation
Digitalsmiths Corporation is the digital video asset management
technology company behind VideoSense, the first broadband video
contextual ad-matching system to integrate seamlessly with existing
online ad networks. Digitalsmiths also developed InScene, the automated
video indexing technology used by motion picture and television
studios to digitize feature films and television series and make
them easily searchable. Founded in 1998, Digitalsmiths is based
in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., with offices in Los Angeles. For more information,
please visit: www.digitalsmiths.com.
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