Tookey.io, a Tinder-like platform designed to facilitate partnerships within the Web3 ecosystem, has raised $375,000 in pre-seed funding, valuing the platform at $5 million post-money. Led by Blockchair, a leading private blockchain search engine, the funding will fuel Tookey.io's mission to create a collaborative Web3 marketing hub where startups can form strategic alliances and expand blockchain adoption.

• Support from Industry Leaders:

  • The news of Tookey.io’s funding was first reported by Cryptonews and later confirmed by Blockchair’s Chief Research Officer, Yedige Davletgaliyev, on their official Twitter/X account.
  • Davletgaliyev praised Tookey.io's approach to Web3 collaboration, emphasizing its potential to foster an accessible, partnership-driven ecosystem for blockchain adoption.

• B2B “Tinder” for Web3 Partnerships:

  • Co-Founder Alex Batrachenko, a former Ethereum Foundation and Alchemy strategist, describes Tookey.io as a B2B "Tinder" for the Web3 space, empowering startups with options to control and customize collaborative campaigns.
  • The platform enables secure and transparent connections, allowing Web3 companies to split marketing costs, brainstorm co-marketing campaigns, and utilize shared tools for giveaways and cross-promotion.

• An AI-Powered Collaborative Marketing Hub:

  • Tookey.io was founded by Web3 entrepreneurs Aler Denisov and Vasiliy Shilov to simplify the partnership process through intelligent matching.
  • This AI-driven system identifies synergies between Web3 projects, fostering co-creation opportunities for businesses to combine resources and target shared goals.

• Polygon Labs’ Support for Enhanced Web3 UX:

  • Victor Estival, Head of Product Marketing at Polygon Labs, highlighted Tookey.io’s commitment to enhancing Web3 user experience and compatibility across Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) environments. According to Estival, platforms like Tookey.io can help merge on-chain and off-chain interactions, critical for a seamless user journey.

Platform Launch and Future Plans

• Initial Launch and Onboarding:

  • Starting October 16, 2024, Web3 startups can sign up to access Tookey.io’s private Co-marketing Club on Telegram and initiate their first campaigns.
  • The platform aims to onboard 5,000 startups by using the funds to expand Tookey.io's reach and accelerate its growth in the Web3 ecosystem.

• Platform Enhancements and Future Features:

  • Tookey.io is gearing up to introduce new platform functionalities, including a dedicated token and a referral program, to optimize marketing efficiency for Web3 companies.
  • The team recently hosted a Demo Day, featuring Blockchair’s Davletgaliyev, Polygon’s Estival, and Batrachenko, addressing key startup concerns about building and scaling Web3 projects.

Tookey.io is pioneering a collaborative platform for Web3 projects to connect, co-market, and streamline strategic partnerships. With its innovative approach and strong industry support, Tookey.io aims to bridge gaps in Web3 marketing and foster a marketplace experience that makes collaboration more accessible, efficient, and impactful for the blockchain community.

Advertible, the leading native-as-a-service platform, has announced a significant leadership transition with the appointment of Co-Founder and COO Priti Ohri as its new Chief Executive Officer. This change marks a pivotal moment in Advertible's journey toward redefining native advertising within the programmatic ecosystem.

• New Leadership: Priti Ohri succeeds Tom Anderson, who played a crucial role in launching Advertible’s innovative platform and establishing key partnerships with Tier 1 Supply-Side Platforms (SSPs).
• Industry Recognition: During Anderson's tenure, Advertible received an honorable mention for “Best Industry Startup” at the 2024 AdExchanger Awards.
• Priti Ohri's Background:
  • Over 20 years of experience in adtech, media, and retail.
  • Recognized as one of the Top Women in Media and Ad Tech by Ad Monsters & AdExchanger.
  • Co-founded DesiUS, a community for South Asians in adtech, promoting diversity and opportunity in the industry.

Priti Ohri's Vision for Advertible

• Gratitude for Leadership: Ohri expressed her appreciation for Tom Anderson's contributions in steering Advertible to its current position.
• Evolving Native Advertising: Ohri emphasizes the rapid evolution of native advertising and Advertible’s unique position to lead this transformation.
• Focus on Innovation: With a commitment to delivering impactful results, Ohri plans to push boundaries and enhance the platform's capabilities.

Advertible’s Native-as-a-Service Platform

• Meeting Demand: The platform is designed to address the increasing demand for native advertising, which offers higher engagement and profitability than traditional formats.
• Cutting-Edge Tools: Incorporating AI-driven placement design, Advertible empowers SSPs to unlock new revenue streams and optimize ad performance.

Commitment to the Future

• Navigating Change: This leadership change highlights Advertible's commitment to innovation, especially as the digital advertising landscape moves towards a cookieless future.
• Positioned for Growth: Under Ohri's leadership, Advertible is set to lead the next phase of innovation in native ads, ensuring that SSPs of all sizes can seize emerging growth opportunities.

Priti Ohri's appointment as CEO of Advertible marks a transformative moment for the company and the native advertising industry. With her extensive experience and visionary approach, Advertible is well-positioned to continue its trajectory of success and innovation, adapting to the evolving needs of the digital advertising ecosystem.

Frameplay, a leading intrinsic advertising platform, has announced the appointment of Sandy Shanman as the new Chief Executive Officer and Jonathan Troughton as President, effective October 2, 2024. This transition comes amid significant growth for the company, which Troughton co-founded in 2018 to revolutionize advertising within the gaming industry.

Leadership Changes

• New Appointments: Sandy Shanman takes on the role of CEO, while Jonathan Troughton becomes President.
• Effective Date: Both appointments are effective from October 2, 2024.

Company Overview

• Foundation: Frameplay was established in 2018 to serve as a marketing technology provider for the advertising and video game industries.
• Core Offering: The platform allows brands, agencies, and platforms to integrate advertisements seamlessly into video games, enhancing player experience without disruption.

Vision and Strategy

• Jurgen Post’s Statement: The Chairman of the Board, Jurgen Post, emphasized the importance of combining Troughton's vision with Shanman's advertising expertise to drive Frameplay's growth.
• Focus on Optimization: Post highlighted the principle of "min-maxing," optimizing every resource for maximum efficiency in leadership.

Insights from Leadership

• Jonathan Troughton: As an enthusiastic gamer, Troughton has always focused on enhancing advertising opportunities. He stated, "Our mindset from the start has been simple: 'git gud'—constantly improving and leveling up."
• Sandy Shanman’s Background: Shanman joined Frameplay in 2023 as COO and implemented successful monetization strategies, previously leading revenue transformations at other companies.

Industry Context

• Gaming Engagement: According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the U.S. gaming industry has over 191 million active gamers as of 2024. This diverse player base makes gaming an attractive space for advertisers.
• Future Outlook: Shanman believes in-game advertising will become a vital part of the media mix for major brands.

With Sandy Shanman and Jonathan Troughton at the helm, Frameplay is poised to leverage its innovative advertising strategies and capitalize on the growing engagement in the gaming industry, positioning itself as a leader in the in-game advertising space.

The company will also participate in a panel discussion with Orange Apron Media and Pentaleap at this year’s Advertising Week

Vantage, the orchestration layer for retail and commerce media, has announced that its comprehensive retail media platform, previously available in limited release, is now accessible to all retailers. This platform aims to enhance retail media businesses, unlocking high-margin revenue opportunities and driving growth in an evolving media landscape.

• Unified Orchestration Layer:
  Vantage serves as a central hub that integrates various teams across the retailer, simplifies workflows, and connects siloed technology systems. This unified approach addresses longstanding challenges in the retail media space, enabling efficient scaling and optimization of media operations.

• Real-time Insights and Analytics:
  The platform empowers brand and retail teams by providing real-time sales and market insights, facilitating better decision-making and action across multiple marketing channels, whether on-site, offsite, or in-store.

Executive Insights:
Aran Hamilton, CEO of Vantage, emphasized the transformative potential of retail media:
"Retail media is not just the latest fad in the industry; it's an opportunity to transform the relationship between retailers and their vendor partners. Vantage helps retailers launch and scale retail media networks to their full potential by integrating disjointed teams and technologies."

Collaboration with The Home Depot:
Vantage is powering the launch of Orange Access, the new analytics, insight, and advertising platform for The Home Depot’s retail media network, Orange Apron Media. This integration allows advertisers and Orange Apron Media associates to plan, activate, and optimize campaigns seamlessly through a single, intuitive interface.

Melanie Babcock, VP for Orange Apron Media and Monetization at The Home Depot, stated:
“Collaborating with Vantage has allowed us to be the first in the industry to streamline all of the work of all of our teams into one platform. Vantage empowers The Home Depot to scale our retail media business, meet advertiser needs, and deliver significant results.”

Strategic Leadership Appointment:
In a bid to bolster its growth, Vantage has appointed Drew Cashmore as Head of Strategy. Cashmore brings invaluable expertise, further reinforcing Vantage's leadership in the retail media industry.

Upcoming Participation at Advertising Week:
Vantage will participate in a panel discussion titled "Unlocking Best-in-Class Service, Scale, & Experience in Retail Media" at this year’s Advertising Week. Aran Hamilton will join Melanie Babcock and Andreas Reiffen of Pentaleap to explore how innovative partnerships are reshaping the retail media landscape. The panel is scheduled for Monday, October 7, at 4:10 pm ET at the Insights Stage.

With its comprehensive platform and strategic partnerships, Vantage is poised to redefine the retail media landscape, enabling retailers to optimize their operations and drive meaningful results.

Source, amplify, convert, and optimize shopper, creator and community-generated content and manage campaigns, all from one place.

At GroceryShop today, Bazaarvoice, the leading platform for full-funnel user-generated content (UGC) and social commerce, announced Bazaarvoice Vibe—a revolutionary solution designed to source, amplify, convert, and optimize UGC and creator-generated content across multiple channels from one centralized platform. The global release is set for November 1.

• Unified Solution for UGC and Creator Campaigns:
  With AI-powered automations and one-click distribution features, Bazaarvoice Vibe simplifies managing UGC and creator campaigns from a single platform, streamlining workflows that previously required multiple tools.

• Comprehensive Content Strategy Management:
  Vibe integrates Creator Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Social Commerce, and Product Sampling into one platform, allowing brands to source and amplify compelling, community-driven content across all consumer touchpoints, driving both engagement and conversions.

• Real-time Analytics and Insights:
  Vibe provides real-time metrics for campaign performance, creator effectiveness, and revenue contribution, offering detailed insights for optimizing content strategies at every stage of the customer journey.

Executive Insights:
Colby Smith, Executive Vice President at Bazaarvoice, highlighted the platform’s impact:
"Bazaarvoice Vibe makes it easy for brands to power their UGC and creator campaigns from a single solution. With AI-powered automations and insights that optimize campaign spend, brands can bridge the gap between social engagement and e-commerce success."

Customer Success Story:
Dave Plowden, VP of Marketing at FITCRUNCH (Pervine Foods), shared how Vibe has transformed their business:
"With Bazaarvoice Vibe, it feels like we’ve gained the power of five essential tools in one, streamlining workflow, reducing costs, and enhancing efficiency. It’s a game-changer for our business."

Key Benefits of Bazaarvoice Vibe:

1. Accelerated Speed to Market:
   Vibe enables brands to execute and measure campaigns faster, helping them gain a competitive advantage by reducing time to market.

2. Real-time Data for Informed Decisions:
   With end-to-end reporting, brands can track real-time metrics throughout the customer funnel, making data-driven decisions that support measurable growth.

3. Scaling Business Objectives:
   Vibe helps brands deliver the right content at the right time across key channels, improving content performance and conversion metrics, and driving scalable growth.

4. Optimizing Omnichannel Strategies:
   Vibe streamlines content distribution across channels, ensuring that high-quality content reaches consumers wherever they are—be it on social media or product detail pages—maximizing both reach and revenue.

Industry Insight:
Ananda Chakravarty, VP of Research at IDC Retail Insights, commented on Vibe’s innovation:
"Bazaarvoice Vibe is a revolutionary shift in content management. Marketers can now access a vast network of influencers and communities, with clear results shifting from estimates to actual metrics."

Bazaarvoice Vibe marks a new era in UGC and social commerce, providing brands with a powerful tool to drive engagement, streamline workflows, and ultimately, increase revenue.

The SaaS unicorn welcomes a new CMO, CRO, and CSO to build on its go-to-market strategy and growth in the industry

ActiveCampaign, a leading marketing automation platform, has announced the appointment of three key executives: Amy Kilpatrick as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Carine Roman as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), and Shay Howe as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). These leadership changes aim to drive innovation, fuel growth, and deliver greater value to businesses by helping them build stronger, more meaningful customer relationships at scale.

• Amy Kilpatrick – Chief Marketing Officer (CMO):

  • Kilpatrick joins ActiveCampaign after serving as CMO of Contentful and as VP of Integrated Marketing at Mailchimp.
  • With extensive experience in cybersecurity, telecommunications, and content marketing, she will focus on scaling ActiveCampaign’s brand with small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) globally.

• Carine Roman – Chief Revenue Officer (CRO):

  • Previously Mailchimp’s first Chief Customer Officer, Roman built the company’s sales team and integrated customer success with sales.
  • At ActiveCampaign, Roman will concentrate on growing new and existing business efforts, driving revenue, and enhancing the customer experience across the platform.

• Shay Howe – Chief Strategy Officer (CSO):

  • A seven-year veteran of ActiveCampaign, Howe transitions from his role as CMO to CSO.
  • In this new capacity, he will guide corporate strategy, oversee new product lines, and lead strategic partnerships and corporate development initiatives.

• CEO’s Vision:
  Jason VandeBoom, Founder and CEO of ActiveCampaign, expressed confidence in the new appointments, emphasizing that the combined expertise of Kilpatrick, Roman, and Howe will elevate the company’s ability to innovate and meet customer needs. He highlighted their passion for helping businesses succeed and their ability to drive impact for ActiveCampaign’s growing global customer base.

• Recent Company Developments:
  Over the past year, ActiveCampaign has:

  • Added Joy Whinery as Chief Financial Officer.
  • Reimagined its product direction with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI).
  • Opened two new hub locations in Costa Rica and Poland.
  • Acquired OneSend, a suite of tools designed for franchise, multi-location brands, and reseller agencies.

These leadership appointments mark a pivotal moment in ActiveCampaign's growth. The addition of Kilpatrick, Roman, and Howe to the leadership team will help the company deepen its understanding of customer needs, drive innovation, and scale its global operations. With a focus on personalized customer experiences and AI-driven solutions, ActiveCampaign is poised to continue redefining how businesses connect with their customers.

The newly launched product of Mango Animate, Mango AI, featuring AI talking avatars with natural facial expressions and synchronized lip movements, opens up a new way to illustrate video information dynamically.

Mango AI, developed by Mango Animate, is an advanced AI video generator that enables users to create professional-looking AI videos from text in minutes. With lifelike AI talking avatars and natural-sounding voiceovers, the platform is designed for users of all skill levels, simplifying video creation for purposes like education, marketing, and sales.

Key Features of Mango AI

• AI-Powered Video Creation:

  • Users can generate videos simply by inputting text scripts, which are then transformed into engaging AI videos.
  • Videos include lifelike AI talking avatars with natural facial movements like blinking, head tilts, and lip-syncing, ensuring a human-like appearance.

• Diverse Video Types:

  • Mango AI offers options like text to animation, talking head videos, talking photo, and text & image to video.
  • Users can choose from a range of AI avatars spanning different genders, ages, and ethnicities, and even select cartoon avatars for kid-friendly content.

• Customisation Options:

  • Users can further personalise their videos by changing backgrounds or selecting a whiteboard to present information.
  • The platform allows users to upload a photo to create an AI avatar of themselves or use pre-recorded audio to pair with the avatar.

CEO Winston Zhang’s Vision

• Winston Zhang, CEO of Mango Animate, emphasizes the accessibility of Mango AI, stating, "We’ve designed it to make video creation accessible to everyone, regardless of technical skills."
  • The goal is to enable users to create personalised and engaging AI videos with ease, helping them deliver their messages more effectively.

Simplicity and Versatility

• Intuitive Interface:

  • Mango AI features an easy-to-use interface, guiding users step-by-step through the creation process.
  • Options to choose avatars, voiceovers, and backgrounds make it simple to create a polished final product.

• Photo Editor Integration:

  • Beyond video creation, Mango AI also includes a powerful photo editor that lets users enhance their images by removing backgrounds, improving photo quality, and even swapping faces within photos.

Mango AI is a game-changer in the video creation space, offering a seamless and accessible solution for users of all skill levels. With its ability to create professional, engaging AI videos with personalised avatars and voiceovers, Mango AI makes video production fast and efficient, revolutionising how content is created for education, marketing, and beyond.

Captello, a leader in event engagement solutions, announces Aaron Karpaty as Senior Director of Strategic Growth. With over 20 years in the tech industry, Aaron brings a wealth of experience in sales and business development, having driven growth at companies like Jifflenow and Tech Events.

Captello, a leader in event engagement and lead capture solutions, has appointed Aaron Karpaty as Senior Director of Strategic Growth. Aaron brings over 20 years of experience in the tech industry, with expertise in sales, business development, and strategic partnerships. His leadership is set to drive Captello’s continued growth and innovation.

Aaron Karpaty’s Career Journey

• Early Career:
  • Began his career in 1999, focusing on hardware, test-repair, and supply chain management, particularly supporting HP products.
  • Built a business from scratch, reaching $10 million in revenue, which was later acquired by Cokeva.
• Tech Events Role:
  • Joined Tech Events in 2003, where he developed software for managing demo assets for events and trade shows.
  • Gained hands-on experience as a "road warrior," acquiring deep insights into the event industry.

Leadership Success at Jifflenow

• Joined Jifflenow in 2013 as employee number five, recognizing the startup’s potential.
• As the first dedicated sales professional, Aaron secured 30 new clients in his first year and doubled the company’s revenue.
• Led the expansion of the sales team and contributed to Jifflenow’s growth, which led to its acquisition by Cvent in 2023.

Vision for Captello’s Growth

• Ryan Schefke, CEO of Captello, expressed excitement about Aaron’s appointment, emphasizing his track record of driving growth and building client relationships.
• Aaron Karpaty shared his enthusiasm for joining Captello, praising the team’s dedication to event technology solutions and expressing his eagerness to contribute to the company’s vision of growth.

Aaron Karpaty’s appointment as Senior Director of Strategic Growth marks a pivotal moment for Captello. With his proven expertise in driving business success and deep understanding of the event technology landscape, Aaron is well-positioned to help Captello revolutionize revenue generation through event solutions.