Seedtag, the leading global contextual advertising company, announced today the appointment of Kartal Goksel as the company's Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Goksel brings over two decades of expertise in the AdTech industry to Seedtag, where he will drive the company's technological direction and spearhead innovation efforts.

Goksel's extensive experience in the ad tech industry includes roles at CNET, CBS Interactive, Pubmatic, and Kargo. At Kargo, he served as the Chief Technology Officer, leading the development of the company's SSP. Goksel's deep understanding of the publisher's perspective, coupled with his expertise in performance marketing, will be invaluable as Seedtag continues to innovate and evolve.

"Kartal Goksel is an invaluable addition to our leadership team," said Jorge Poyatos, Co-CEO & Co-Founder of Seedtag. "His wealth of experience and deep understanding of the ad tech industry make him the ideal candidate to lead our technology efforts. We are confident that under Kartal's guidance, Seedtag will continue to lead privacy-first advertising supporting the transition to a better internet."

As the new CTO, Goksel will assume the responsibilities previously held by Paul Goldbaum, Seedtag's former CTO. Goksel will be based in both New York City and Madrid, and will be responsible for leading the research and development of new technologies, managing Seedtag's technical teams, and implementing technology standards and practices. Additionally, Goksel will play a vital role in shaping the company's future strategies and decision-making processes. With a successful track record in launching innovative products and building high-performing technology teams, Goksel is primed to help Seedtag maintain its position as the industry's leading contextual advertising provider.

"I am grateful for the opportunities I've had in my career thus far, but joining Seedtag feels like the most impactful step I've taken," said Goksel. "The industry is undergoing an unprecedented transformation, with the retirement of third-party cookies and the rise of privacy-centric solutions. Seedtag's contextual-first ethos positions us perfectly to thrive in this evolving landscape. I'm eager to collaborate with Seedtag's data science team to develop groundbreaking solutions and drive the company forward in its next chapter of success."

"After nearly a decade at Seedtag, it felt like the right time to pass the torch," said Paul Goldbaum, Seedtag's former CTO. "I'm thrilled to have Kartal taking on the role as Seedtag's new Chief Technology Officer. His proven track record building technology solutions in the AdTech space will be crucial in continuing to fuel Seedtag's growth in the ever-evolving advertising landscape and new market opportunities. With his leadership, I am confident that the Seedtag team will reach new heights, and I eagerly anticipate seeing their accomplishments."

Mesh, the modern provider of real-time professional license verification trusted by leading marketplaces, today announced the launch of its Multi-Factor Business Identity solution for marketplaces, ecommerce, and vendor & contractor compliance. Co-founded by ex-Amazon executives, Diego Asenjo (CEO) and Tony Bryan (CTO), and following a $5.7 million seed round led by Greycroft, Mesh now helps companies seamlessly verify, onboard, and monitor any legitimate U.S. business – along with their registration, licensing, insurance, and background information – with industry-leading 99%+ satisfaction reported by verified SMBs and sole-proprietors.

An overwhelming majority of companies with business onboarding, trust and safety, and vendor compliance needs depend on manual reviews. Advisory firm Liminal found that 98% of surveyed companies require some manual review, with nearly 60% relying on manual reviews for at least a quarter of their business verifications. Their findings among financial institutions echo Mesh’s insights on buyer and seller onboarding in ecommerce, marketplace trust, and vendor compliance.

To solve this problem, mid-size and large companies often deploy teams across product, engineering, data science, and operations, and a stack of vendors to get the necessary business signals and increase coverage. Still, these companies require tens to hundreds of manual operators to review small and micro businesses that are partially or fully “invisible” to their vendors and annually see millions of dollars lost to customer friction, regulatory non-compliance, and fraud.

With Mesh, there is a better way. Mesh’s Business and Entity Verification (BEV) solution combines privacy-centric data collection, hundreds of proprietary integrations with primary sources and real-time government data, an ecosystem of data partners, and identity lifecycle workflows to offer unmatched accuracy, data freshness, and non-compliance detection – while delivering high automation, conversion, and SMB satisfaction.

"Mesh has effectively addressed the challenges of establishing business trust and navigating compliance with their innovative Business and Entity Verification solution. We are thrilled with Mesh’s expertise and vision in bringing an accurate and seamless solution for companies,” said Elaine Russell, Operating Partner at Greycroft.

"Mesh's extensive integrations into disparate data sources give them the ability to automate the vast majority of business identity verification, relieving customers of painstaking manual review processes and bringing a frictionless user experience that consumers have grown accustomed to in the B2B world," said Ruth Foxe Blader, General Partner at Foxe Capital.

Introducing Multi-Factor Business Identity Verification

Mesh introduced the next evolution in its verification platform, offering:

• Multiple Signals: Mesh delivers signals including, but not limited to, business user identity, licenses, insurance, tax information, business risk, end-user risk, and documentary evidence through a single API.
• Dynamic Data Capture: Mesh dynamically adapts its data capture experience to customers’ order parameters, end-user inputs, and real-time risk signals, ensuring a radically simple and tailored user-friendly experience.
• Real-Time Data: Mesh triangulates real-time verifications with hundreds of governments, third-party data, and partner networks, and delivers unmatched data freshness with risk labels for customers to automate decisions.
• Enterprise Platform: Mesh makes its data collection frictionless and transparent, tailored to customers' needs with multiple fast-start options. Mesh is already trusted by multi-billion dollar marketplaces.
• Privacy by Design: Mesh secures data collected from SMBs with bank-level encryption and only shares it with their consent. Mesh is proudly SOC2 Type II Certified.

Mesh’s journey from License Verification to a Business and Entity Verification (BEV) solution signifies an evolution into a complete, end-to-end business identity platform.

Diego Asenjo, CEO of Mesh, said, “The status quo is frustrating. Business verification processes can take a day or more in 30%+ of cases, and often, small businesses are simply invisible to single-point solution providers. Companies must also integrate and triangulate with multiple disparate single-point solution providers for business, license, insurance, and other data – which is time-consuming to implement, customize, and maintain across platforms. And despite their efforts, companies suffer losses stemming from incomplete coverage and stale data. Companies love Mesh’s comprehensive identity platform because of our uncompromising commitment to delightful data capture experiences, accuracy, and in-depth coverage with real-time data with a single multi-factor API that is a no-brainer. Legitimate small businesses and sole proprietors love that getting verified with Mesh’s custom-branded building blocks feels safe, quick, and easy.”

“The response to verifications by Mesh from our community has been very positive, and we’re pleased with the increased engagement we’ve seen from verification. Homeowners see the verification badge, which increases their trust and the likelihood of a connection. Our Verified Pros see higher quality leads and get more business. We’ve created a healthier ecosystem for our customers. Everyone wins here,” said John Mannelly, Senior Product Manager from Houzz.

Expanded Leadership

With 30+ years of senior Amazon experience, Diego Asenjo (CEO), Tony Bryan (CTO), and founding engineers rounded out their leadership team with industry veterans. They are Mike Nelson (CRO), who founded the identity verification (IDV) business at Mitek and led revenue at BehavioSec (acquired by LexisNexis Risk Solutions) as the company’s CRO; and Andres Benvenuto (VP of Partnerships & Data), with 20+ years of experience in data businesses like Socure, Dun & Bradstreet, and Creditsafe.

New experimentation and event tagging capabilities help teams intuitively track and optimize web activity

Amplitude, Inc. today announced the expansion of its Digital Analytics Platform to include Session Replay, new experimentation capabilities, and simplified event tagging. With Session Replay, Amplitude now combines qualitative and quantitative data to help companies understand the “why” behind user behavior. New Experiment capabilities help teams build more personalized websites and campaigns. Visual tag editor lowers the barrier to entry for companies getting started with data collection and instrumentation. Alongside redesigned pricing options to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes, these new capabilities help companies see everything their customers do, understand what drives growth, and build better products—all in one platform. 

In today’s market, the experience a customer has with a digital product or website directly impacts the success of that business. That's why organizations need to have a clear and connected understanding of customer behavior. These insights are the foundation for creating personalized experiences that allow organizations to attract, engage, and retain customers.

The new features of Amplitude’s platform include:

• Session Replay: Session Replay helps companies visualize the user journey through the product, showing what customers like and where they get stuck. Integrated with Amplitude Analytics, organizations gain access to both qualitative and quantitative insights to fix issues, drive greater conversion, and ultimately, improve the customer experience. Session Replay is generally available today.
• Experiment for web: Deliver personalized experiences with new web experimentation capabilities. Easily test multiple landing pages to optimize web and campaign performance. Paired with Amplitude Analytics, teams gain a holistic understanding of what impacts customer behavior and how to deliver experiences that drive growth. Experiment for web will be generally available in the first half of 2024.
• Visual tag editor: Visual tag editor automates the data collection and instrumentation process to help teams intuitively track website or app activity. Visual tag editor will be generally available in the first half of 2024.

“Understanding customer behavior is the key to building successful products and enabling businesses to thrive," said Francois Ajenstat, Amplitude’s Chief Product Officer. "With these new capabilities, we’re bringing the next generation of digital analytics to market, combining qualitative and quantitative insights and simplifying how companies get started with Amplitude. With a single platform that is easy to use and easy to scale, every company can deliver better customer experiences that drive growth.”

“We needed a centralized platform that made data visible to everyone in our organization, even if they had no previous experience with analytics. With Amplitude, we got that and more,” said Leia Schultz, Product Manager at Homebot, a real estate finance education portal. “Amplitude has put data at the center of our decision-making process. We can analyze behavior, make iterative changes, and quickly communicate the impact of our design changes, ultimately giving us confidence in our decision-making.”

With plans for organizations of all sizes, companies can get all the tools they need at once or start small and scale as their business grows. Plans include:

• Free: Easily discover and report on user behavior insights to make smarter product decisions with the Free plan.
• Plus: Answer questions, experiment, and deliver personalized experiences faster with a powerful suite of products—without the forced add-ons.
• Growth: Drive results and revenue with advanced analytics, custom metrics, and dedicated customer support.
• Enterprise: Leverage trusted data at scale with enterprise-grade security features for companies with complex needs and controls.

Amagi ADS PLUS, the premium CTV advertising marketplace from the global SaaS technology leader for Connected TV and Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) services, Amagi, today has announced a strategic partnership with ShowHeroes, a prominent player in the global digital advertising space. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Amagi ADS PLUS as it further solidifies its presence and expands its reach within the European market.

ShowHeroes, known for its innovative and engaging advertising solutions, has been a trailblazer in the EU, creating unique opportunities for brands to connect with their audiences. The partnership with Amagi ADS PLUS will enhance ShowHeroes' capabilities, offering advertisers advanced solutions and an extended reach across the European region, with an emphasis on Germany, Spain, France, and the UK.

Amagi has been at the forefront of technological advancements, pioneering the Commitment to Certification and higher standards in advertising Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF). This commitment ensures that advertisers leveraging Amagi ADS PLUS benefit from a brand-safe advertising environment, where user data is protected. The TCF aligns with industry standards, promoting a higher level of trust and accountability in the advertising ecosystem.

James Smith, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Amagi ADS PLUS, said, "We are excited about our collaboration with ShowHeroes, a company that shares our passion for innovation and excellence in CTV advertising. This partnership not only strengthens our position in the European market but showcases unique native ad formats and the impact of long-form creative."

Sarah Lewis, ShowHeroes Global Director of CTV, said, "The partnership with Amagi ADS PLUS is a significant step forward in our mission to deliver cutting-edge advertising solutions to our clients. By joining forces with Amagi ADS PLUS and embracing the TCF standards, we are upholding a new benchmark for quality and transparency in digital advertising. This collaboration will undoubtedly elevate the advertising experience for brands and audiences alike."

This strategic alliance between Amagi ADS PLUS and ShowHeroes not only signifies a major business milestone but also demonstrates a shared commitment to excellence, innovation, and the highest standards in the rapidly evolving world of digital advertising.

Amagi ADS PLUS and the FAST Deals marketplace are built on the foundation of Amagi's industry-leading FAST platform, which currently facilitates content creation, distribution, and ad insertion across more than 110 million hours of viewing and more than 1 billion ad impressions. ADS PLUS leverages Amagi's extensive relationships with premium CTV content owners to establish an advertising marketplace that bridges the gap between content creators and leading advertisers.

As demand continues to grow ClickUp opens a second local data centre in the region

ClickUp, the productivity platform that brings work together in one place, announced today, due to continuing demand, it is expanding its investment in APAC with an additional local data centre, based in Singapore. ClickUp customers on the company’s Enterprise plan will now have another location in APAC to host their data, at no additional cost. This comes shortly after ClickUp announced localised data hosting in Sydney at the end of 2023. 

ClickUp’s second APAC data centre is based in Singapore and operated by Amazon Web Services. Customers will see enhanced performance and can grow their operations without concern of losing speed or efficiency. ClickUp has already begun migrating eligible workspaces to the new data centre.

“As demand continues to grow in APAC, it's so important that we're able to guarantee that our customer's data is safe and well managed,” said Ankesh Chopra, Vice President APAC, ClickUp. "The establishment of our Singapore data centre reinforces our commitment to the region and provides another way to support our rapidly growing customer-base. Every day we hear from businesses that are looking to optimize their productivity and expand their impact in the region - we are excited to power this success and save everyone time."

ClickUp's presence in APAC continues to grow with customers such as Shopee, Eastspring Investments, Singapore Management University and YSQ International. ClickUp also added ten new partners, including HarmonyX, Web Spiders Group, and Digibeacon to serve as an extension of its sales and services team.

If you are interested in learning more about how ClickUp can support your business or, you are an existing customer interested in migrating to the new Singapore data centre, contact the ClickUp sales team through the form here.

Today, leading omnichannel advertising platform Skai and the Path to Purchase Institute (P2PI) are releasing The State of Retail Media 2024, the third annual report analyzing growth, opportunities, and changes in the growing sector. Retail media is experiencing exponential growth, with many retailers creating their own networks as an added revenue channel and brands increasing spending due to strong opportunities and ROI. 

Skai's and P2PI's State of Retail Media 2024 draws insights from around 100 U.S. consumer product manufacturers and agencies. It explores the evolving dynamics of retail media and spotlights its expansion beyond traditional retail boundaries. This year's data underscores the critical need for cross-channel integration, incrementality proficiency, and technological agility to maximize retail media's full potential.

Retail media continues to gain prominence in media plans

Out of 10 advertising channels, retail media was ranked as the most important across the board, and 81% consider it very or extremely important for 2024. This is underscored by the fact that 77% of respondents attest to retail media driving good or excellent results for their businesses in 2023.

Navigating the expansion of retail media across channels will be a 2024 priority

In 2023's study, only 17% reported good alignment between retail media and their different channels — this year, that number increased nearly 3X to 47%. And it's not just the advertisers aligning; in 2023, Amazon formed what, once upon a time, would have been unlikely joint ventures with Snap and Meta, signaling more partnerships on the horizon. One thing is certain: retail media and the future of commerce can no longer be treated in isolation from other channels.

Consistent performance  + enhanced insights fuel retail media's growth

The biggest drivers for the acceleration of retail media spend are a higher ROI compared to other ad channels (47%), improved insights from retailers (38%), and the ability to better measure upper-funnel impact (36%). Within retail media, onsite ads and social commerce budgets will see the largest increases this year. And, despite consistent calls for standardization, the associated challenges were not a deterrent for retail media investment for most marketers (80%), proven by growing investment.

Tech innovation critical for retail media's new era

Most advertisers are relying on third-party tools for business intelligence (58%), retail media management (57%), and digital shelf analytics (49%) to manage their retail media campaigns. AI will immediately significantly impact targeting and optimization, helping drive efficiencies and market leadership.

Brand and agency priorities are not aligned

Agencies offer brands tremendous value to brands — filling knowledge gaps, providing budget recommendations, and keeping up with the continued proliferation of networks. However, this study shows disparities between brand and agency approaches to success KPIs, budget allocation & prioritization. They also differ slightly in how they perceive challenges, such as the growing number of networks, data usage, and incremental measurement best practices.

Incrementality and measurement challenges remain

Only 30% of marketers feel proficient in incrementality measurement, and with varying definitions of incrementality, a standardized approach is impossible. The most frequently used metrics are advertising and media performance, such as CPC, ROAS, CTR, CPA, ACoS, and Viewability, which act as the north star, guiding advertising campaigns toward desired outcomes while optimizing budgets in an important channel.

"2024 is shaping up to be a significant year for retail media as it grows in every direction — up the funnel, video & CTV, off-site display, innovative in-store opportunities, and new partnerships with social publishers," said Gil Sadeh, Chief Growth Officer at Skai. "This 2024 report marks our third annual survey on retail media's evolution and Skai's ongoing commitment to help our brands & agency clients navigate the future of commerce media via smart, data-based decisions."

Industry Veteran Brings Over 30 Years of Marketing Expertise and Leadership and a Deep Passion for Data and Its Applications

Today, Data Axle, a leader in data-driven marketing and business intelligence solutions, announced the appointment of Andrew Frawley as its chief executive officer. Frawley brings over three decades of proven leadership experience in technology, data, and marketing. He will play a pivotal role in furthering Data Axle's position as a leading provider of B2B and B2C data and real-time business intelligence solutions for enterprise, small business, and nonprofit organizations. With a deep knowledge of marketing, data, analytics, SaaS, and professional services, Frawley will be a valuable asset to further Data Axle's commitment to providing superior service and measurable results in its mission to help clients become augmented intelligence companies. 

Data Axle's former CEO, Mike Iaccarino, will leave to run a European-based direct marketing business. Frawley and Iaccarino have a 25-year history of deep partnerships in the direct marketing space, and both are former CEOs of Epsilon. "I have full confidence that my colleague and good friend, Andy, will continue to drive industry-leading solutions and be a great leader for the Data Axle team," said Iaccarino, who will remain as chairman of Data Axle.

True to Data Axle's mission to help businesses achieve their goals through data, technology, and services, Frawley will spearhead new company initiatives and further its commitment to rapid growth and industry-leading client solutions, including:

• Infusing AI and augmented intelligence across Data Axle's solutions
• Developing next-generation applications to improve clients' marketing effectiveness and efficiency
• Continuing to deliver world-class services to Data Axle clients

"I'm honored to join Data Axle and excited to continue positioning the company as a world-class leader and disruptor in the data and marketing services industry," said Frawley. "We will continue to launch innovative marketing and data solutions to help our clients navigate today's rapidly changing data environment."

Established in 1972, Data Axle has been a pioneering force, leveraging data to fuel innovation, drive business growth, and empower clients since its inception. With Frawley at the helm, the company is well positioned to beckon in the next era of marketing revolution.

Box, Inc. (NYSE:BOX), the leading Content Cloud, today announced the launch of the new Box app for Apple Vision Pro. Designed to take advantage of spatial computing, Box for Apple Vision Pro revolutionizes how people experience and collaborate on content in the enterprise. The uniquely immersive experiences and infinite desktop powered by the visionOS platform transforms how people work with content, while relying on the security and compliance of the Box Content Cloud.

“Apple Vision Pro is a massive step change in technology akin to iPhone and iPad,” said Aaron Levie, co-founder and CEO of Box. “This breakthrough technology introduces immersive experiences that fundamentally redefine the way we work by delivering visually stunning interactions without physical limitations. From developing the next new breakthrough product to reimagining customer experiences, the possibilities are endless. By bringing Box to Apple Vision Pro, we are just beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible for the future of work.”

A New World of Enterprise Use Cases with Spatial Computing

With Box for Apple Vision Pro:

• Construction companies can open their blueprint files or progress images stored in Box and virtually visit the site with different project stakeholders to enable interactive collaboration between teams from anywhere.
• Retailers will be able to use Apple Vision Pro to explore a retail display window design proposal in Box, making it possible to see how the space will look and feel to customers to create more compelling and effective display designs.
• Manufacturers will be able to view 3D product renderings inside of Box in an immersive, full-size environment such as a workshop floor, with the ability to zoom in and out to see details more clearly and accelerate work.
• Entertainment companies can immerse themselves in video files stored in Box to better analyze footage, animations, or visual effects to create a more cohesive and engaging final product.
• Higher education institutions will be able to bring faculty researchers and students into virtual learning experiences, training with 3D models of complex concepts found in their Box files, to provide an interactive and engaging way to supplement traditional instruction.

Immersive New Content Experiences

By bringing Box’s world-class productivity and collaboration experience to visionOS, Box customers will be able to access a rich set of collaborative and secure content features that will change how they engage with their digital content. For example:

• Immerse yourself in rich content: View images and videos with spatial audio right from within Box Preview to transform the way work is presented, reviewed, and shared.
• Merge the digital and physical world: Place 3D objects in physical space for an enhanced visual experience that brings your work to life and improves understanding of complex visual concepts.
• Get "hands-on" and interact with content in new ways: Leverage Siri dictation technology alongside intuitive eye and hand gestures to navigate through the Box app effortlessly while enabling hands-on manipulation of content for effective visualization.
• Create your own infinite desktop to multitask: Leverage visionOS multitasking capabilities to open Box alongside other apps on screen so you can access critical information from multiple sources simultaneously without sacrificing productivity or focus.
• Seamlessly organize and navigate your files: Search, browse, preview all of your Box files seamlessly, and organize content into easily accessible Collections, to enhance productivity by making it easier than ever before to share and collaborate in Box.

Enterprise-Grade Security and Compliance

As the leading Content Cloud, Box works with more than 115,000 customers, including 67% of the Fortune 500. Many of these organizations are in regulated industries and rely on Box to protect their most important and sensitive information, enabling secure collaboration inside their enterprise as well as with key external partners and customers. The Box Content Cloud provides advanced content protection and security tools, such as machine-learning powered threat detection with Box Shield, granular sharing permissions and access controls, content watermarking, compliance with stringent regulations and certifications like FINRA, FedRAMP, GxP Validation, HIPAA, and more. The Box app for Apple Vision Pro brings all of these capabilities to the new platform of spatial computing.

In addition, Box Admins will be able to easily enable and configure the Box experience on Apple Vision Pro, which is designed to keep customers in control of their data so they can determine access controls to granular features with a simple on and off toggle.