No Google acquisitions to report, today. The search giant did, however, just lead a $23 million investment in Invidi Technologies, a New York-based provider of "addressable" TV ads.
Business Insider, which
broke the news late Tuesday, described the deal as "fending off
Microsoft," and, "part of a renewed effort to get into TV advertising."
Invidi is presently developing a platform that makes it easier for advertisers to target satellite and
cable audiences based on various demographics. So-called "addressable" ads are designed to target specific viewers, using data from set-top boxes, in the same way that Internet ads pinpoint specific
Web surfers.
"People familiar with the transaction" tell Media Memo that Google invested
"between $10 million and $15 million in company in this round, which brings Invidi's total capital raised above the $85 million mark."
Along with include WPP's GroupM,
Motorola, and other investors, this deal clearly shows that Google "is still trying to figure out how to crack the TV business," writes
CNet.
Notes NewTeeVee: "Google has been pushing to get into the TV ad space for
the last three years, and has seen some success, scoring business with Hallmark, Bloomberg and some NBC Universal cable networks."
According to paidContent, "The partnership
can be seen as a way for Google to speed up its efforts in that area, which have
been fairly slow-going."
In addition to its investment, Google has committed to working with Invidi on several products relating to TV advertising, notes TechCrunch. "Of
course, it is expected that Invidi's technology could be integrated with Google's development of an
Android-based software for TVs," it suggests.
Further strengthening the bond between the two companies, Shishir Mehrotra, Director of Product Management for Google TV Ads
and YouTube Ads, has joined Invidi's board of directors.
Still, why didn't the acquisition-happy Google just scoop up Invidi for itself?
No need, says Marketing Pilgrim. "Don't buy a risky start-up, when you can invest in it and share some of that risk
with other venture capital firms," it writes. "If it succeeds -- and you happen to be Google -- you can sweep-in and acquire the company ... If it fails, you don't have to put up with the press giving
you a hard time about yet another failure."
Read the whole story at Bussiness Insider et al. »