Hatz AI Launching the First Platform Built for MSPs to Deliver AI to their Customers

Hatz AI, Co-Founded by Jimmy Hatzell and serial entrepreneur Aidan Kehoe, publicly launches today, announcing a $2.5 million seed funding round led by Vestigo Ventures. Hatz AI enables MSPs to build an AI-as-a-Service business with AI applications, AI agents, vector storage, and custom Large Language Models (LLMs) powered by an LLM Ops engine and managed through a multi-tenant platform.

The company is set to make their products generally available in March, aiming to empower Managed Service Providers (MSPs) worldwide to build AI-as-a-Service Businesses.

"MSPs will play a key role in the global transition to AI," stated Jimmy Hatzell, CEO of Hatz AI. "I think every MSP will soon manage and own their own LLMs, and provide similar services for their customers. We are building a system of record for MSPs to manage that transition and a system of engagement to operationalize the technology."

"The platform allows PCH Technologies to provide AI-as-a-Service in an easy to use format that is secure and customizable that will create a competitive advantage to our clients by accelerating the adoption of AI in each individual business," said Tim Guim, CEO of PCH Technologies and Hatz AI MSP Launch Partner.

The funding round, led by Vestigo Ventures, features a prestigious group of investors including Alex Weiss from ClearSky, Matt Higgins from Shark Tank and RSE Ventures, Jim Brown from Long Ridge, Jon McNeill, founder of DVx Ventures and former president of Tesla and former COO of Lyft, Iqram Magdon-Ismail, musician and Co-founder of Venmo, and Aidan Kehoe, Nadia Partners.

"MSPs are entrepreneurial, customer-obsessed, and essential to the adoption of innovative technologies by the information economy. These are the kind of folks we love working with at Vestigo and we are thrilled to partner with Jimmy and Aidan to build the first MSP-native customer AI platform." said Frazer Anderson, Principal at Vestigo Ventures. "These entrepreneurs were made for this business and we are proud to support them on what we're sure will be a joyous journey."

Hatz AI is launching its first generally available products in March of 2024. The first release will include both an AI Application Builder and Organizationally Managed AI Assistants. Later this year Hatz AI will make their AI Phone Customer Service Agents generally available, as well as the ability to train and manage vector databases and custom LLMs inside the multi-tenant platform.

CEO Ross McCray transitions to active Founder, Board Member & Shareholder as the adtech pioneer sets sights on an accelerated growth path

As VideoAmp continues on its mission to redefine how media is valued, bought, and sold, the adtech pioneer today announces key updates to its leadership team that set the company on an accelerated path to growth. The changes reflect the company’s goal to streamline operations and dedicate focus to future growth and high-value partnerships in the year ahead. These strategic moves position VideoAmp to continue leading the rapid industry evolution in media measurement and advanced currencies.

CEO Ross McCray is transitioning to active Founder, Board Member & Shareholder. Since he founded the company in 2014, McCray has been instrumental in ushering in innovative technology to disrupt the advertising measurement and currency landscape at a time when content consumption has become increasingly fragmented and complex.

"This was an extremely hard and emotional decision for me. I always knew after starting VideoAmp - if we were successful - this day would come. I have wished and dreaded for this day to come for 10 years. I love this service. I love our mission, employees, clients and partners. But it is time for me to pass the baton and return back to my original love and roots of earlier stage company building. I continue to be deeply committed to VideoAmp for the long term. I will remain active and a part of our company as our Founder, Board Member and Shareholder. I look forward to working with you all in this new way," said Ross McCray.

Media and entertainment veteran Peter Liguori assumes the role of Executive Chairman. As Former CEO of Tribune Media, COO of Discovery Communications, Chairman of FOX Entertainment, CEO of FX and long-time VideoAmp board member, Peter is focused on rounding out and cultivating the continued success and momentum of VideoAmp’s best-in-class leadership team.

Former Nielsen senior executive Peter Bradbury joins the VideoAmp executive leadership team in the new role of Chief Commercial and Growth Officer. A widely respected media and advertising leader with over two decades of operating experience and a proven track record of accelerating growth and driving transformation in a highly competitive and rapidly evolving marketplace, Bradbury brings extensive experience building effective commercial operations and enablement infrastructures to drive client satisfaction across multiple verticals, including consumer packaged goods, television, digital, audio, sports, gaming and entertainment. He will spearhead VideoAmp’s accelerated growth trajectory by leading all client, business development and commercial transformation initiatives to solidify VideoAmp as the new currency standard.

“Pete Bradbury’s addition to our team represents not only VideoAmp’s commitment to solidify our hold as the new currency standard, but it also showcases the transformation of our strategy to focus and serve the industry’s client base with a well respected and trusted industry leader,” said Peter Ligouri. “Pete’s decades of advertising, measurement and deep connections across the industry will fast-track us to serve and provide winning solutions for the industry’s measurement needs. His proven record of driving high levels of client satisfaction while attracting top tier talent has been a formula for sustained success and we are delighted to have him join the VideoAmp team at such a pivotal moment in our history.”

“This is an incredibly exciting time for advertising and media measurement. I have had the privilege of leading clients through multiple changes to the currency that buyers and sellers use, and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that during this critically important time, our industry’s publishers, agencies and advertisers are 100% aligned on the need for more holistic and accurate data on which to plan, buy and evaluate their significant advertising investments,” said Pete Bradbury. “I am excited to join the VideoAmp Team, which has created the new currency standard and I look forward to leading our efforts to rapidly expand our footprint across the industry. VideoAmp has quickly emerged as the preferred source of measurement for multiple highly respected, forward-thinking industry leaders and I am excited to build on that foundation and advance the measurement evolution.”

Bradbury’s appointment is coupled with several promotions within VideoAmp, including Tony Fagan to the role of President, Technology and Strategy, and Josh Hudgins to the role of Chief Product Officer. Tony Fagan, who has been in the position of Chief Technology Officer at VideoAmp for two and a half years, spent over 15 years at Google leading data science and engineering teams and creating products for ad planning, optimization and measurement. Josh Hudgins, who was EVP, Product at VideoAmp for over two years, previously spent over a decade at Google overseeing product development for Google Search and Google Ads offerings in the areas of shopping, advanced measurement and Google Drive.

Both Fagan and Hudgins take on increased responsibilities alongside the remainder of the C-Suite, which comprises Paul Ross, Chief Financial Officer; Jenny Wall, Chief Marketing Officer; Marisa Peters, Chief People Officer; and Hari Sankar, Chief Data Officer overseeing Revenue Operations.

“Our growth in media currency transactions is a testament of VideoAmp being seen as the premier industry leader, one which is continually pushing the threshold of advanced currency and measurement,” said Tony Fagan. "We are innovating with big data and advanced methodologies to improve the way content and ads are planned and measured. We look forward to bringing this innovation to our customers and partners through secure computer technologies and APIs.”

In an effort to focus on the business’ growth priorities and key client needs and services,VideoAmp has made the strategic decision to restructure the organization by reducing its workforce by just under 20% to align around these refocused priorities.

VideoAmp is driving increased sales, reducing waste, and generating higher yields for publishers’ ad inventory. The company has seen rapid and deepening adoption for its measurement and currency solutions with 13 major linear and streaming publishers using its currency model, along with all major media holding companies, and several independent agencies.

​​“It’s amazing to be part of a company with the transformative potential of VideoAmp,” said Brian Mesic, VideoAmp board member and managing director at Ankona Capital. “With this new chapter starting, I couldn't be more excited and bullish about what's to come."

VideoAmp recently announced partnerships and has gone live with the world’s largest media companies, including Amazon, Disney, YouTube, Warner Bros. Discovery, Meta, NBCU, Paramount, The Weather Channel, TelevisaUnivision, Hallmark. The company experienced over 1,400% year over year growth of VideoAmp media currency transactions with over a billion dollars planned to be measured and guaranteed on its currency in 2024 from over 1,000 advertisers.

Industry veteran to focus on accelerating next phase of DMaaS provider's growth

vFairs, the award-winning event management platform, has successfully cleared the ISO 27001 Surveillance Audit for 2023, signifying its commitment to safeguarding sensitive data.

vFairs, a leading all-in-one event management platform, proudly announces the successful clearance of its ISO 27001 Surveillance Audit for 2023. This significant milestone underscores vFairs' steadfast dedication to maintaining the highest standards of security, reinforcing its position as a trusted partner for clients worldwide.

ISO 27001 certification signifies vFairs' unwavering commitment to implementing robust information security management systems. Undergoing rigorous assessments, the company has demonstrated its adherence to stringent protocols, ensuring the protection of sensitive data and fostering a secure environment for its clients' events.

"At vFairs, our priority has always been to prioritize the security and confidentiality of our clients' data," said Muhammad Younas, CEO of vFairs. "This successful ISO 27001 Surveillance Audit clearance reaffirms our dedication to providing a trusted platform that prioritizes data security and confidentiality above all else."

The ISO 27001 certification is a testament to vFairs' ongoing commitment to excellence and dedication to meeting and exceeding industry standards. By obtaining this accreditation, vFairs continues to set itself apart as a reliable and secure partner for businesses and organizations seeking a dependable event management platform.

vFairs' adherence to ISO 27001 standards not only assures clients of the platform's security measures but also reflects the company's ethos of continual improvement and unwavering dedication to client satisfaction.

TripleLift, the ad tech platform elevating digital advertising across every screen, and Reset Digital, a first-of-its-kind platform that gives brands and publishers broader and deeper audience reach across all communities, today announced a partnership to significantly expand diverse spend and representation across the programmatic ecosystem. Together, the companies are offering advertisers multiple pathways to ensure a greater portion of their digital budgets can be directed toward diverse-owned media companies.

The partnership allows advertisers to buy quality inventory from minority-owned businesses throughout the programmatic ecosystem: TripleLift (a SSP) and Reset Digital (a DSP), and TripleLift's UNREP (Underrepresented Voices) deal package of impressions directing dollars straight to minority-owned media publishers. This way of buying media is available immediately across display, online video, and CTV and will be launched with Native this year.

In 2023, an ANA survey of certified diverse suppliers found that while a majority say that interest from the media and advertising community in supporting diverse suppliers has increased in the past year, there is still a gap between intent to spend and actual spend. TripleLift and Reset Digital are helping all stakeholders bridge the gap quickly by making it easy for them to access diverse-owned media at scale.

"This partnership allows advertisers to achieve their diverse spend goals with an end-to-end solution that is more aligned with their corporate supplier diversity reporting requirements," said Thomas Brandon, VP of Agency Strategy and Economic Inclusion at TripleLift. "Importantly, it allows them to use their media spend to impact the economic growth of the diverse communities they serve."

Over the last 12 years, TripleLift has cultivated a vast inventory of publishers that includes access to 220 billion monthly impression avails across diverse-owned sites as part of its UNREP curated packages. These packages include inventory among publishers owned by Women, LGBTQ+, Blacks, Latinx, and Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and can be accessed as a whole or individually depending on client goals.

"TripleLift has been on our radar for a partnership for some time," said Charles Cantu, founder and CEO of Reset Digital. "Specifically, our marketplace combined with their offerings like UNREP now provides a single pathway to diverse spending across the programmatic ecosystem – a solution we are excited to finally have in the market together."

Reset Digital, the industry's only verified, black-owned and operated DSP, has been long recognized for its neuroprogrammatic capabilities, which allow advertisers to engage audiences based on what they desire versus what they look like, its ability to help connect brands and multicultural audiences around the world and its partnerships with brands like P&G, GM and Verizon, as well as the leading global media and creative agencies. In 2023, Reset Digital launched a new programmatic marketplace for the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), a trade organization that represents more than 200 Black-owned newspapers in the U.S. along with the NABOB (National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters); these entities created a path to connect large advertisers with publications that previously did not have the capabilities to run national programmatic advertising campaigns.

This partnership stands to benefit any of the buy-side clients working with these companies.

"TripleLift and Reset Digital have both been great partners to Horizon Media for many years," said Karina Dobarro, EVP, Multicultural at Horizon Media. "We've long worked with DSPs and SSPs to better direct investment to diverse-owned media, but partnerships like this one make it a much more seamless endeavor."

TripleLift works with 80%+ of comScore 200 ad-supported publishers and delivers over 2 trillion monthly global impressions across North America, EMEA, LATAM, APAC, and MENA.

The Two-Step, Three-Minute Tool Assesses Ad Effectiveness and Improvement Suggestions

Shirofune, the leading digital advertising automation management tool, has unveiled a new free feature, Account Audit, which will automatically evaluate the effectiveness of Google search and display ads and suggest improvements.

With Google the most dominant search engine, its platform remains one of the most desirable to reach target audiences. Through internal R&D plus the insights of ad operators, Shirofune has broadened its suite of advertising automation tools with the launch of Account Audit. The new feature allows anyone, both Shirofune clients and advertisers everywhere, to evaluate the quality of their Google Ad campaigns, identifying issues and suggesting corrective strategies.

Key highlights of Account Audit include:

• A free comprehensive evaluation of Google Ad campaigns, with specific criteria applied for search ads and display ads
• Third-party assessment of potentially opaque ad operations is usually handled by external ad agencies or internal team members, with transparency in detailing the processes involved in assessment and improvement strategies
• Quick two-step registration and three-minute usage requiring only the advertising account’s ID and password for anyone to utilize
• The summary page and diagnostic report are sent via email as an Excel file
• Achieving an A rating (80+ points) following corrective action could result in a 150-200% improvement in ad effectiveness

“Shirofune has long provided suggestions to adjust ad campaigns and improve performance, and the launch of Account Audit for Google Ads broadens that benefit to all advertisers in a two-step, three-minute tool,” explains Shirofune Director Tomomi Takeshita, whose expertise in the R&D of proprietary algorithms for account creation and improvement strategies led to the development of the new Account Audit tool.

Shirofune launched in North America in early 2023 after becoming the #1 digital automated advertising management tool in Japan, where it has a 91% market share and is used by leading advertisers and agencies including Rakuten and Dentsu, saving them over 50% of work hours.