Iterable, the AI-powered customer communication platform, has announced the expansion of its global footprint with the opening of a new office in Lisbon, Portugal. This office will serve as a cross-functional center for innovation and product development, enhancing the company’s presence in Europe and enabling it to better serve organizations in the region looking to accelerate their growth.

Marking a Milestone in Global Growth

Iterable’s expansion is another significant step in the company’s impressive global growth trajectory. With offices now in San Francisco, New York, Denver, London, Sydney, and Lisbon, Iterable has established a robust international presence. The company boasts over 1,200 customers across more than 50 countries, partnering with brands like Wolt, Cinemark, Box, and Redfin. To support its continued growth, Iterable plans to hire at least 100 skilled professionals for key roles in Lisbon over the next few years.

“Our expansion to Lisbon—now a thriving European innovation hub—allows us to fully engage with this dynamic ecosystem while bringing us closer to global organizations eager to enhance their customer engagement,” said Andrew Boni, CEO and co-founder of Iterable. “We’re excited to tap into the region’s diverse, highly skilled workforce to drive growth for our business and fuel creative solutions for our customers. As we put down roots in Lisbon, we look forward to embracing the local entrepreneurial spirit and forging lasting partnerships that will contribute to the city’s continued success.”

Accelerating Global Innovation

In today's competitive technological landscape, brands face immense pressure to deliver personalized and impactful experiences to global audiences with unprecedented speed. Iterable's recent innovations and groundbreaking AI capabilities directly address these challenges, empowering marketers to focus on higher-value strategic pursuits that craft exceptional customer experiences.

The company's product roadmap reflects a continued investment in making it easier for marketers to reach their audiences and stand out in a competitive market. The new Lisbon office and its talented team will bring fresh perspectives and skill sets, playing a pivotal role in driving the company's ambitious product strategy, particularly in multichannel development and mobile technologies.

Peter Oh, Iterable's Vice President of Product Engineering, has relocated to Lisbon. “We're building a team here in Lisbon that not only lives and breathes Iterable's values but also brings fresh ideas to the table,” said Oh. “This move is about more than growth — it's about injecting creativity and joy into our work. We're excited to contribute to the local tech community and leverage these new perspectives to drive innovation that benefits our customers worldwide.”

Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement

Iterable’s expansion into Lisbon has been facilitated through a strategic partnership with AICEP Portugal Global, the Portuguese government's agency for investment and export promotion. This collaboration has been instrumental in supporting Iterable's smooth entry into the Portuguese market, providing valuable insights into the local business landscape and connecting the company with key resources and talent networks.

"We're thrilled to have worked closely with Iterable to bring their innovative technology and team to Lisbon," said Ricardo Arroja, Chairman and CEO at AICEP. “Iterable's decision to establish a presence here validates our country as a tech hub and aligns with our strategy to attract high-impact investments that create skilled jobs and contribute to our knowledge economy.”

During their recent visit to Lisbon, Samya DasSarma, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Iterable, and Andrew Boni reinforced the company’s commitment to the region through community engagements, including a fireside chat hosted by Startup Lisboa at the Unicorn Factory Lisboa. Their visit also included tours of local universities, such as Instituto Superior Técnico, to connect with emerging talent.

“Iterable’s expansion into Lisbon demonstrates how the city has become the European Capital of Innovation,” said Gil Azevedo, Director of Unicorn Factory Lisboa. “Iterable’s arrival strengthens our mission to create a leading tech ecosystem in the city, showcasing Lisbon as a hub for innovation and unicorns.”

With its new office in Lisbon, Iterable is set to enhance its capabilities and foster innovation, positioning itself as a key player in the European market. This expansion not only signifies growth for Iterable but also contributes to the thriving tech landscape in Lisbon.

Looma, a leading provider of in-store digital media, has successfully raised approximately $10 million from a group of family offices, YETI Capital, and current investors. This funding will be utilized to expand Looma's platform with new and existing retail partners and to enhance its product offerings.

Expanding Presence in Retail

Looma plans a series of rollouts slated for 2024 and 2025, aiming to deepen its penetration within the adult beverage category and expand its platform throughout all major grocery store areas. These initiatives will increase Looma's install base from approximately 800 screens in 2023 to over 5,000 screens by the end of 2024.

The expanded platform will feature a blend of three screen types: Looma's existing "high-value space screens," along with two new types: "in-aisle interactives" and "atmospheric screens."

"This capital enables us to grow a truly end-to-end, enterprise-grade in-store digital media platform," said Cole Johnson, Looma's Founder & CEO. "We're grateful for the continued support from our existing investors and thrilled to welcome YETI Capital and our other new investors."

New Board Appointment

In connection with this funding round, Margot Fooshee, a former marketing executive from J.Crew and Beautycounter, has joined Looma's board of directors.

"We are fired up about partnering with the Looma team," said Maxx Karr, Partner at YETI Capital. "They've built and honed the leading digital media platform over the past 8+ years, delivering meaningful performance enhancement to retail and brand partners, and the company is primed for further expansion with more national retailers and brands."

Current Deployment

Looma is currently deployed in 675 stores across the East Coast, Midwest, and Texas, partnering with retailers such as H-E-B, Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, and several other undisclosed retailers.

With this new funding, Looma is set to enhance its platform, drive further expansion, and solidify its position as a leader in the in-store digital media space.

New Open Standard Enables Secure, First-Party Data Matching Through Interoperability Between Data Clean Rooms; Open for Public Comment Until October 25, 2024

IAB Tech Lab, the global digital advertising technical standards-setting body, has announced the launch of the PAIR (Publisher Advertiser Identity Reconciliation) protocol. This new protocol offers a privacy-centric approach for advertisers and publishers to match and activate their first-party audiences for advertising use cases without relying on third-party cookies.

Development and Features of PAIR

Originally donated to IAB Tech Lab by Google, the PAIR protocol has been developed by the Rearc Addressability and Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) working group into an open standard. This allows interoperability between data clean rooms and enables all Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs) to adopt the protocol for enhanced privacy-safe audience targeting.

To support this effort, IAB Tech Lab will update the PAIR prebid module for use by all data clean rooms and DSPs. Additionally, an open-source reference implementation will be published to assist with adoption by publishers. The PAIR protocol is now open for public comment until October 25, 2024.

Industry Impact

"Privacy-enhancing technologies are providing a path to unlocking first-party data in secure and privacy-centric approaches for both advertisers and publishers," stated Shailley Singh, EVP of Product and COO at IAB Tech Lab. "PAIR is designed as an open standard to help advertisers and publishers choose their preferred data clean room and DSP partners. It's an important step forward for privacy-first advertising while allowing effective audience targeting and monetization for publishers without data leakage."

The PAIR protocol utilizes advanced cryptographic methods to facilitate the secure matching of multiple-encrypted keys without exposing personal information. This empowers advertisers to activate matched audiences and engage potential customers who have interacted with their brands. Meanwhile, publishers can enhance revenue opportunities by leveraging authenticated users while protecting against data leakage.

Foundation for Interoperability

"PAIR is about making privacy-first data matching and activation work in the real world," remarked Bosko Milekic, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Optable. "Previously, this was only achievable with advertisers and publishers using the same clean room vendor, but open PAIR enables this across vendors. This establishes PAIR as a foundational standard for a thriving and interoperable data collaboration ecosystem."

As the industry shifts towards privacy-safe solutions, IAB Tech Lab will continue to play a pivotal role in establishing addressability standards that help advertisers and publishers adapt and thrive in this evolving landscape.

Lee will lead all of TripleLift's offerings and customer-facing functions on a global scale

TripleLift, the ad tech platform dedicated to enhancing digital advertising across every screen, has announced the promotion of Jennifer Lee to the position of Chief Customer Officer. In this new role, Lee will oversee all offerings related to customers and clients, reporting directly to the Office of the CEO from TripleLift's New York office.

Significance of the Promotion

"As TripleLift moves into this new phase of our business, we need talented individuals who share our vision and are eager to propel us forward in the industry," said Ed Dinichert, Chief Revenue Officer and Member of the Office of the CEO at TripleLift. "Jen has been a critical member of this team for more than 10 years, and her input and ideas have been instrumental to our success. Her promotion is a testament to her dedication to TripleLift's customer satisfaction and overall business success."

Lee's New Role and Responsibilities

Elevated from SVP, Global Head of Services, Lee is now responsible for leading all customer-facing functions globally, ensuring consistent, high-quality service and maximizing client satisfaction across all regions. In her new capacity, she will help publishers and advertisers optimize performance through data-driven insights and market-specific strategies across various formats.

Lee has been with TripleLift for over a decade, initially serving as Head of Account Management in 2014, where she established the account management practice. She then moved on to lead the global services organization as SVP, overseeing a team of more than 100 professionals across demand, supply, and data services. Before joining TripleLift, Lee was an early member of VivaKi, the first programmatic trading desk, and held various positions at Starcom MediaVest Group.

Lee's Vision and Commitment

"I have spent many years working across the business at TripleLift, but my passion has always been with the customers and finding ways for them to drive performance and succeed," said Lee. "Co-shaping our product roadmap and strategic direction with the leadership team, while remaining the voice for our customers, allows me to combine my skills and knowledge with the vision of TripleLift. I am excited for this new chapter and look forward to continuing to make a difference in the industry."

Jennifer Lee's promotion to Chief Customer Officer is a strategic move for TripleLift as it seeks to strengthen customer relationships and enhance service quality across its global operations. Her extensive experience and commitment to customer success position her as a vital asset in driving the company's continued growth and innovation in digital advertising.

New compliance and certification measures unlock opportunities in healthcare and enterprise

AudioEye, Inc. (Nasdaq: AEYE), the industry-leading digital accessibility company, has announced the successful achievement of both HIPAA compliance and SOC 2 Type II certification. These significant milestones underscore AudioEye's commitment to enhancing data protection, security measures, and confidentiality for its customers, particularly those in the healthcare sector and other industries with strict data protection requirements.

Commitment to Security and Accessibility

"In today's digital world, security and accessibility go hand in hand. At AudioEye, ensuring a secure and compliant accessibility platform for all customers is a top priority," said David Moradi, CEO of AudioEye. "Achieving HIPAA compliance reinforces our dedication to healthcare customers, assuring their protected health information (PHI) is in strict compliance with federal regulations. Our continuous commitment to data security means expanding our efforts to meet the highest standards across all industries, including financial services, e-commerce, and government."

Regulatory Context

Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule bolstering protections for individuals with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. According to this rule, healthcare organizations must ensure that their web content and mobile applications are digitally accessible and compliant within the next two or three years, depending on the organization's size. AudioEye's HIPAA compliance provides an additional layer of trust for healthcare customers, enabling healthcare providers to deliver more inclusive digital experiences without compromising security or compliance.

Proactive Security Enhancements through SOC 2 Type II Certification

Following the successful completion of its SOC 2 Type I examination earlier this year, AudioEye has completed the more rigorous SOC 2 Type II audit. This certification, conducted by an independent third-party firm, confirms that AudioEye's systems are properly designed and safeguarded against threats as the company operates in the cloud. It also validates that AudioEye meets the highest standards for security, availability, confidentiality, and privacy.

"When companies choose to work with AudioEye, they're choosing a partner who puts data security first," said John Postlethwait, CTO of AudioEye. "SOC 2 Type II certification gives our customers peace of mind that their data is safe. We adhere to industry best practices, with robust controls and safeguards in place at every level. Our commitment to security is an ongoing process, and we make a deliberate effort to continuously review and enhance our security measures to stay ahead of emerging threats, ensuring our customers are always protected."

AudioEye's dual achievements of HIPAA compliance and SOC 2 Type II certification reaffirm its commitment to safeguarding customer data through rigorous security measures. By addressing both security and accessibility, AudioEye empowers its customers to meet the highest standards, offering inclusive digital experiences that are secure and compliant with regulatory requirements. This focus underscores AudioEye's role as a trusted partner in creating a more secure and accessible web for all.

Global Advertisers Can Now Access IAS's Industry-Aligned Misinformation Reporting on YouTube

Integral Ad Science (Nasdaq: IAS), a leading global media measurement and optimization platform, has announced the launch of its misinformation brand safety and suitability reporting for advertisers running campaigns across YouTube ad inventory. This new capability enables IAS to detect and report content classified as misinformation on YouTube, allowing advertisers to ensure the safety and suitability of their digital media investments on the platform.

Enhanced Misinformation Measurement

IAS's Total Media Quality (TMQ) product suite delivers valuable third-party assurance that advertisers' campaigns are positioned alongside brand-safe and suitable content. The misinformation measurement feature provides independent verification that complements YouTube's own policies and procedures.

"Brand safety is a top priority for marketers as we approach upcoming marquee global media events. We are empowering marketers with enhanced products like our expanded Total Media Quality for YouTube, which now offers IAS's misinformation reporting," said Lisa Utzschneider, CEO of IAS. "We're excited to provide the ability to detect misinformation with our best-in-class measurement solution."

Key Features for Advertisers

IAS classifies content based on industry-aligned definitions and offers reporting tailored to advertisers' custom brand suitability settings. Video-level reporting allows advertisers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the content adjacent to their ads and adjust their campaigns according to their suitability profiles.

Advertisers Can Now:

• Access Expanded Third-Party Transparency: Gain trusted video-level insights into the content adjacent to advertisements based on industry-aligned definitions.
• Drive Results: Analyze whether ads appear next to content identified by IAS as misinformation, allowing for necessary optimizations to enhance brand suitability.
• Safeguard and Scale Their Business: Access global reporting in over 30 languages on YouTube for key international events in 2024 and beyond.

Recent Developments

In March, IAS announced its MRC accreditation for integrated third-party calculation and reporting of YouTube video viewability. Additionally, in December 2023, IAS introduced the availability of its Total Media Quality (TMQ) brand safety and suitability measurement for YouTube Shorts, further expanding its coverage for advanced brand safety and suitability measurement.

With the launch of its misinformation brand safety and suitability reporting for YouTube, IAS is equipping advertisers with enhanced tools to ensure their campaigns align with brand safety standards. This advancement reinforces IAS's commitment to providing advertisers with the insights they need to safeguard their digital investments effectively.

As referral traffic from search engines and social networks declines while paid acquisition costs rise, brands must prioritize direct customer relationships. This focus is essential for deepening engagement, driving repeat conversions, and fostering loyalty, all of which contribute to increased customer lifetime value and sustainable business growth. However, many brands struggle with siloed teams and channels, making it challenging to provide the cohesive experiences customers demand. To address these challenges, Airship has announced the expansion of its Experience Platform capabilities to the web, enabling a more unified approach to customer interactions.

Key Solutions Available for Web Marketers:

1. Experience Editor:

   • No-code web and app experiences with native performance.
   • Scenes & Stories:
     • Engaging content for onboarding, registration, and conversion.
   • Surveys:
     • Simple collection of feedback to enhance personalization.

2. Embedded Content:

   • Personalization of content blocks in web pages and app screens.
   • Targets customers who typically ignore pop-ups.

3. Preference Center:

   • Customers choose their communication preferences across all channels.

4. Airship Journeys AI:

   • Automated creation of customer journeys and compelling content using zero-party data.

5. Experimentation:

   • A/B and multivariate testing for optimizing audience engagement.

Industry Insights:

• Brands must create coherent experiences across channels to avoid losing ground to competitors. Forrester Research emphasizes the need for integrated customer experiences.

Customer Experiences: Real-World Applications

• U-Haul’s Director, David LoPresti, highlights the transformative impact of Airship's tools in personalizing user experiences, enhancing customer engagement during the moving process.
• Jessy Trengove from Vinyl Group shares how Airship Journeys AI accelerates their ability to meet critical business KPIs through efficient journey creation.

Challenges for News Publishers:

Airship's evaluation of U.S. news publishers reveals significant room for improvement in first-time visitor experiences:

• Limited prompts for web notifications, especially on desktops.
• Universal email opt-in requests but delayed visibility for smartphone users.
• Nearly one-third of publishers require actions before showing opt-in prompts, highlighting a need for more proactive engagement.

In a mobile-first landscape, brands face increasing challenges in delivering personalized experiences. Airship's expansion of its platform to the web addresses these issues, providing tools for quick content optimization and enhanced customer value capture. As consumer behaviors evolve, brands must build agility into their marketing programs to meet rising expectations for relevant experiences across all channels.

Investors Recognize Strong Potential for CPGs to Reduce Waste through Supply Chain Optimization

Crisp, a leading player in the Collaborative Commerce platform space, has successfully closed a $72 million Series B equity round, bringing its total equity raised to $97 million since its inception. This funding round saw participation from new strategic investors, including Wellington Management, Toshiba Corporation, DNX, Cox, and Prologis, who collectively contributed $17 million.

Expansion Plans
The newly acquired funds will be instrumental for Crisp as it aims to expand its presence in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and retail channels. The company plans to enhance its platform’s features and functionality, fuel new data partnerships, and grow its workforce through strategic hiring.

Crisp’s Transformative Approach
Crisp is revolutionizing the CPG industry by reducing waste and improving profitability through a collaborative data-sharing approach with brands, retailers, and distributors. By leveraging AI and predictive analytics, Crisp’s open data retail platform enhances transparency and accelerates data-driven decision-making across supply chains. This capability enables effective forecasting, pricing strategies, inventory management, and marketing, ultimately ensuring products are placed where and when they are needed, minimizing waste and boosting revenue.

Impressive Growth
In just one year, Crisp has expanded its customer base from 600 to over 6,000, including more than 80 of the top 100 CPG brands. The company now collaborates with over 40 retailers, significantly increasing its distribution points from 17 million to over 627 million.

Real-World Impact
Crisp’s capabilities are not just theoretical; they have tangible results. For instance, UNFI Insights, powered by Crisp, provides manufacturers with the latest sales, inventory, and deduction data as products flow through distribution to retail. Suppliers using this platform have managed to reduce the volume of food at risk for spoilage by 48% over a year, substantially cutting waste and costs.

Investor Support
Investors recognize the critical role Crisp plays in enhancing supply chain efficiency and sustainability. Molly Breiner from Wellington Management highlighted the company’s pragmatic approach to addressing the pressures of climate change on food supply chains. Will O’Donnell from Prologis Ventures echoed this sentiment, emphasizing Crisp’s commitment to delivering transparency and enabling data-driven decisions.

Crisp's latest funding round underscores a growing market recognition of the need for supply chain solutions that minimize waste and promote collaboration. As climate change impacts intensify, investors are increasingly focused on funding sustainability solutions that yield tangible economic benefits. Crisp is well-positioned to lead the CPG industry in these transformative efforts, striving toward the goal of a zero-waste supply chain.