Rokt, the global leader in ecommerce optimization, has announced a $300 million investment in mParticle, a leading customer data platform (CDP). This strategic partnership aims to revolutionize ecommerce, advertising, and customer experiences by combining Rokt’s expertise in transaction moment relevancy with mParticle’s real-time CDP capabilities.

This merger enhances innovation in real-time data activation, empowering businesses to unlock the potential of their customer data and drive significant performance improvements.

1. Investment and Vision

   • Rokt’s $300 million investment will double mParticle’s funding to accelerate product innovation and delivery.
   • The partnership aims to redefine how businesses activate customer data in real time, boosting ecommerce and advertising outcomes.

   Performance Impact: Joint clients have reported up to a 50% improvement in consumer and business outcomes when using mParticle.

2. Leadership Insights

   • Bruce Buchanan, CEO and Co-founder, Rokt:
     "This merger brings a significant performance lift to our clients, enabling them to unlock moments that matter most."
   • Michael Katz, CEO, mParticle:
     "By combining mParticle and Rokt’s capabilities, businesses can create real-time, meaningful connections with customers while maintaining full ownership and control over their data."

3. Enhanced Customer Data Capabilities

   • Brands will maintain complete control over first-party data, ensuring alignment with data privacy and compliance standards.
   • The merger will deliver new solutions allowing businesses to activate customer data in real time to achieve measurable business outcomes.

4. Executive Team Expansion

   • Michael Katz will continue as CEO of mParticle.
   • Andrew Katz will become Chief Technology Officer of Rokt, leading innovation and data security.
   • Jason Lynn will remain Chief Product Officer of mParticle.
   • All three mParticle founders will join Rokt’s executive team.

5. Rokt’s Continued Growth

   • Revenue grew over 40% year-over-year, reaching $600 million in 2024.
   • Acquisitions and Innovations:
     • Acquired AfterSell and launched ACE, a generative AI tool optimizing ad spend.
   • Key Appointments in 2024:
     • Jacqueline Purcell, Chief Financial Officer.
     • Claire Southey, Chief Product Development Officer.

The Rokt and mParticle merger marks a significant milestone in ecommerce and data-driven customer experience. By combining their expertise, the partnership aims to empower brands with real-time relevance, innovation, and data control, setting new standards for success in a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem.

EDO, a TV outcomes company, has partnered with Chalice, an AI-powered adtech leader, to enhance Connected TV (CTV) campaign performance. By integrating EDO’s outcomes data with Chalice’s platform, advertisers can make data-driven decisions, optimize high-performing regions, and maximize return on investment (ROI).

This collaboration combines EDO’s extensive database of streaming ad engagement data with Chalice’s advanced tools, driving impactful KPIs like share of search, brand health, and site visits.

1. Integration Overview

   • EDO’s engagement data is now integrated into Chalice Outcomes AI.
   • Advertisers can leverage custom algorithms for precise targeting and measurement.
   • Campaigns across CTV, linear TV, and digital platforms benefit from improved insights.

2. Enhanced Campaign Optimization

   • Identify high-engagement regions for targeted media buys.
   • Automatically adjust campaigns in real time, prioritizing high-performing geographies.
   • Optimize resource allocation across programmatic and digital channels like Meta, YouTube, and CTV.

   Example:
   High consumer engagement in cities like Los Angeles or Dallas triggers Chalice’s AI to allocate more resources to these areas, maximizing brand lift and ROI while reducing investment in low-performing regions.

3. Business Outcomes and Use Cases

   • Custom search algorithms drive precision targeting in underpenetrated markets.
   • Advertisers achieve higher customer acquisition rates and improved return on ad spend (ROAS).
   • Agencies like Rain the Growth Agency report significant improvements in new customer acquisition and ROI using these advanced tools.

4. Value of EDO and Chalice Collaboration

   • EDO’s database includes 130M+ streaming ad airings and predictive engagement signals.
   • Chalice’s platform uses these insights to uncover untapped opportunities and deliver measurable results.
   • Aggregated, non-personally identifiable data ensures privacy while enabling informed decisions.

The collaboration between EDO and Chalice represents a transformative moment in adtech, empowering advertisers with precision tools to optimize campaigns and drive meaningful outcomes. By combining AI with data-driven insights, this partnership sets a new standard for campaign efficiency and ROI across CTV and digital ecosystems.

Datamaran, a leader in ESG governance software, has appointed Sebastian Hempstead as its first Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). This appointment follows the company’s successful $33 million Series C funding round in September 2024, reflecting its commitment to expanding in the US market and enhancing its innovative AI-driven platform.

Sebastian brings extensive expertise in driving growth within the B2B SaaS sector, positioning him to spearhead Datamaran’s ambitious growth and commercial strategy.

1. Sebastian Hempstead’s Leadership Experience

   • Over 15 years of experience driving revenue growth and scaling operations.
   • Key roles at companies such as GoCardless, Streetbees, Idio/Episerver, and Brandwatch.
   • Former go-to-market strategy advisor to Datamaran (2017–2021), giving him unique insights into the company’s vision.
   • Proven track record of exponentially increasing revenue.

2. Strategic Vision for Growth

   • Hempstead’s appointment aligns with Datamaran’s expansion plans, particularly in the US.
   • Focus areas include:
     • Enhancing generative AI initiatives.
     • Scaling customer success operations.
     • Building strategic partnerships to meet growing demand for ESG governance solutions.

3. Support from Datamaran’s Leadership

   • CEO Marjella Lecourt-Alma expressed confidence in Hempstead’s ability to drive commercial growth, stating,
     • “Sebastian’s expertise will be instrumental as we expand our US presence. This milestone signifies an exciting chapter for Datamaran.”

4. Enhancing ESG Governance Amid Tightening Regulations

   • Datamaran’s AI-powered platform enables businesses to:
     • Address ESG risks and opportunities effectively.
     • Navigate compliance challenges with tightening regulations.
     • Achieve sustainability goals and build long-term resilience.

Sebastian Hempstead’s appointment marks a significant milestone in Datamaran’s journey toward becoming the market leader in ESG governance software. With his expertise and the company’s commitment to innovation and expansion, Datamaran is poised to transform how organizations approach ESG challenges and opportunities.

Button, a leader in mobile commerce optimization, has partnered with Linktree, the widely used "link in bio" platform for creators. This integration introduces Button’s AI-powered dynamic links to Linktree’s 50+ million users, enhancing shopping journeys with higher conversions and personalized experiences.

Linktree empowers creators to curate, grow, and monetize their content across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. With the launch of Linktree Shops in March, the platform solidified its mission to streamline creator-driven shopping experiences, ensuring smooth journeys and accurate commission attribution.

Key Highlights of the Collaboration

1. Enhanced Shopping Journeys with AI-Powered Dynamic Links

   • Button’s dynamic links direct users to the most relevant shopping destination, such as retailer apps, ensuring tailored and seamless purchasing experiences.
   • This optimization simplifies the shopping process while driving higher conversion rates and boosting revenue.

2. Seamless Integration for Creators and Brands

   • Linktree’s integration with Button provides creators with tools to deliver smarter shopping experiences.
   • Key benefits include:
     • Faster navigation to checkout.
     • Improved revenue generation for creators and brands.

3. Impact on Social Commerce

   • Button’s technology has proven to significantly increase conversion rates:
     • +175% on Facebook.
     • +230% on Instagram.
     • +100% on TikTok.
   • This partnership represents a shift in social commerce, turning content into actionable, revenue-generating moments.

4. Leadership Perspectives

   • Sam Else, Sr. Director of Business Development at Linktree:
     • “This collaboration ensures every tap counts, driving audiences straight to checkout while benefiting creators and brands.”
   • Michael Jaconi, CEO of Button:
     • “Creators deserve technology that bridges content and commerce. Button and Linktree are transforming the future of social commerce together.”

Button’s history of driving over $12 billion in sales makes it a game-changer in commerce intelligence. Its integration with Linktree empowers creators to recommend products effortlessly, ensuring a smooth and revenue-generating shopping experience. As social commerce evolves, tools like Button’s linking solutions will redefine how creators and retailers connect with audiences.

Full Circle Insights has launched ABM Performance, an account-based marketing (ABM) tracking solution built natively for Salesforce. This new solution aims to align sales and marketing teams to optimize ABM strategies and drive better results.

ABM Performance provides a unified view of person-level and account-level data by integrating with ABM intent tools. It enables teams to make informed, data-driven decisions on high-value accounts, enhancing growth and collaboration.

Key Features of ABM Performance

1. Alignment of Sales and Marketing Teams

   • ABM Performance bridges the gap between sales and marketing through a shared framework based on the Forrester Revenue Waterfall™ methodology.
   • This alignment ensures a seamless buyer journey by making every account's status visible and actionable.

2. Data-Driven Insights for ABM Strategies

   • Offers clear, actionable insights to:
     • Identify and address pipeline gaps.
     • Accelerate pipeline velocity.
     • Optimize the buyer journey for better conversion rates.

3. Native Integration with Salesforce

   • Tracks, stores, and leverages historical data directly within Salesforce.
   • Enables B2B marketers to compare ABM funnel metrics across different time periods to refine marketing spend and improve performance.

4. Integration with Leading Intent Data Providers

   • Compatible with platforms such as Bombora, Demandbase, and 6sense.
   • Accurately tracks campaign attribution and account activation, covering the journey from target account selection to closed/won deals.

Quotes from Leadership

• “Marketers have long faced challenges with sales adoption in ABM success. ABM Performance provides a shared framework that aligns sales and marketing, ensuring actionable results,” said Jacek Materna, CEO of Full Circle Insights.
• “Success in ABM requires fully engaged sales teams equipped with actionable data. ABM Performance ensures smarter, faster deal closures,” Materna added.

Full Circle Insights’ ABM Performance is a game-changer for B2B marketers and sales professionals. By integrating with Salesforce and leading intent tools, it ensures a data-driven, collaborative approach to ABM strategies. Teams can now better track, analyze, and optimize their efforts to achieve faster, smarter results.

CallRail, an AI-powered lead intelligence platform, has released a report titled “From Conversations to Conversions: How Small Businesses Can Market Smarter.” The study analyzes 1.1 million leads across industries like automotive, financial services, healthcare, legal, real estate, and more, offering valuable benchmarks for small businesses to evaluate marketing channel performance.

Small businesses often struggle with growth due to limited resources, constrained budgets, and the complexity of multi-channel strategies. By identifying impactful marketing channels, businesses can enhance their ROI, improve customer acquisition, and drive profitability.

Key Insights from CallRail's Report

1. Top Channels Driving Conversations

   • Google Ads (37%), Google My Business (23%), and organic search (22%) lead across industries.
   • These channels generate the majority of calls and text messages, offering a roadmap for data-driven marketing decisions to attract qualified leads.

2. Impact of Missed Calls

   • Missing calls can hurt business growth significantly, with 85% of unanswered callers unlikely to call back.
   • Industries with the highest missed call rates:
     • Healthcare: 32%
     • Legal: 28%
     • Home Services: 14%
     • Real Estate: 9%

3. Channels Driving Qualified Leads and Sales Appointments

   • Channels yielding the highest qualified leads include:
     • Google Ads (47%)
     • Organic search (23%)
     • Google My Business (15%)
   • For converting leads into sales appointments:
     • Google Ads (36%)
     • Google My Business (32%)
     • Organic search (18%)

4. Keyword Strategies for Better Targeting

   • Optimized keywords should reflect customer intent, such as:
     • "Near me" searches (e.g., "plumbers near me").
     • Industry-specific phrases (e.g., "personal injury lawyer").
     • Niche terms like "bridge financing" (financial services) or "land for sale" (real estate).

CallRail's report highlights the importance of insights into customer conversations for small business success. Leveraging the right marketing channels and keywords can unlock growth opportunities, refine strategies, and cater to industry-specific needs. CallRail’s Call Tracking and Conversation Intelligence® tools empower businesses to track performance, maximize ROI, and achieve sustained growth.

Start.io, a leading mobile-driven SSP (Supply-Side Platform), has partnered with Intent IQ, a specialist in identity resolution, to enhance its audience targeting capabilities. This collaboration utilizes Intent IQ’s platform to match mobile advertising IDs (MAIDs) with alternative IDs, achieving impressive results, including a 9.8% higher fill rate and 12% greater daily revenue from ads.

1. Partnership Overview

• Objective:
  • The goal of the partnership is to improve Start.io's audience targeting by integrating Intent IQ’s identity resolution technology.
• Technology:
  • Intent IQ matches MAIDs with alternative IDs, which can provide richer, more contextual data for targeting ads.
• Scope:
  • Start.io's mobile ad requests will now be enhanced with alternative IDs, expanding the effectiveness of its ad targeting.

2. Performance Results

• Test Outcomes:
  • 9.8% Higher Fill Rate: Ads enhanced with alternative ID data performed better than the control group using only MAIDs.
  • 12% Higher Daily Revenue: The partnership resulted in a significant revenue boost per day, demonstrating the value of enhanced targeting.

3. Strategic Impact for Mobile Publishers

• Higher CPMs:
  • The partnership is designed to help mobile publishers compete for better CPMs (Cost per Mille), which are critical for maximizing ad revenue.
• Competitive Advantage:
  • The integration of alternative IDs positions Start.io’s platform as a more competitive solution for mobile publishers in the digital ad space.

4. Insights from Leaders

• Andrew Younan, SVP of Product & Engineering at Start.io:
  • "This partnership has been a game-changer for us and our publishers. A 12% increase in daily revenue is significant in such a competitive industry."
• Dror Ben Yishai, CTO of Intent IQ:
  • "Our alternative ID platform is a powerful tool for mobile environments, demonstrating our ability to drive business outcomes in highly competitive markets."

5. Next Steps

• Enhanced Ad Requests:
  • Start.io will roll out these enhanced mobile ad requests to all of its demand partners in the coming weeks, extending the benefits of the partnership to a broader audience.

This partnership between Start.io and Intent IQ marks a significant advancement in mobile ad targeting, allowing Start.io to offer enhanced audience segmentation and improved performance for its publishing partners. With higher fill rates and increased daily revenue, the collaboration demonstrates the effectiveness of identity resolution in mobile advertising.

Pipedrive, a leading CRM platform for small businesses, has successfully passed the ISO 27001:2013 surveillance audit for information security management and earned the ISO 27701:2019 extension for privacy information management. These certifications affirm Pipedrive’s dedication to maintaining the highest international standards in data security and privacy, ensuring its customers that their data is handled securely and responsibly.

1. Key Achievements

• ISO 27001:2013 Certification:
  • Establishes a framework for managing and safeguarding information security via an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
• ISO 27701:2019 Certification:
  • Expands ISO 27001 to include Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and privacy information management, ensuring comprehensive privacy protection.
• SOC 2 Type II & SOC 3 Type II Renewals:
  • Demonstrates continued adherence to security and privacy standards, validating systems through independent audits.

2. Significance of Certifications

• ISO 27001:
  • Focuses on safeguarding sensitive information through rigorous, globally recognized security management practices.
• ISO 27701:
  • Expands security management to cover privacy data and establishes strong systems for managing PII, aligned with global regulations like GDPR.
• Continuous Improvement:
  • Both certifications emphasize ongoing refinement and adaptation to evolving security and privacy challenges in the digital landscape.

3. Customer Benefits

• Enhanced Data Security:
  • Customers can be confident that their data is protected by globally recognized frameworks for security and privacy.
• Global Compliance:
  • Pipedrive's alignment with international regulations like GDPR ensures it meets global privacy and security standards.
• Peace of Mind:
  • Independent validation of Pipedrive’s systems assures customers that their data is managed responsibly and securely.

4. Expert Insights

• Phil Mellet, General Counsel at Pipedrive:
  • "Achieving ISO 27701 certification is a significant milestone. It highlights our commitment to protecting personal data, managing security, and privacy at scale."
  • "By renewing ISO 27001 and achieving ISO 27701, we demonstrate our position as a trusted partner, exceeding customer expectations in data security and privacy."

Pipedrive's attainment of ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certifications underscores its unwavering commitment to data security and privacy. These accomplishments, along with renewed SOC 2 certifications, ensure that Pipedrive continues to meet the highest standards, offering customers peace of mind and demonstrating its leadership in safeguarding sensitive information.