• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, December 12, 2012

Delivery Agent, which powers e-commerce and marketing initiatives for television networks, has received a $5 million strategic investment from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, the venture capital arm of the Samsung Group.

The San Francisco-based company said it will use the financing to “aggressively expand and manage” commerce applications tied to entertainment content across smart TVs and mobile devices. Delivery Agent provides the digital technology that allows consumers to buy products they see on shows across networks such as NBC Universal, Fox, CBS, Discovery Communications and HBO.

In addition to online and in mobile, the company most recently began powering transactions via TV remote through an initiative launched last year with Verizon’s FiOS service and A&E Networks. Samsung, a leader in the connected TV space, sees promise in Delivery Agent’s technology as watching television becomes a more interactive pastime.

“Delivery Agent sits in a powerful position to monetize audiences through their TV Wallet transaction engine and commerce applications tied directly to the content being viewed on these devices,” said Ilseok Yoon, a vice president with Samsung’s venture arm.  

Forrester estimates that 66.8 million U.S. households, or 58% of the TV-viewing population, will own at least one Web-connected TV by 2016. The emergence of companion viewing on tablets and smartphones is also making TV more of a two-way medium.

“Delivery Agent’s vision for how consumers will use their televisions and mobile devices to purchase products related to the entertainment and advertising content they consume aligns perfectly with Samsung’s vision for the future,” said the company’s CEO Mike Fitzsimmons.

Delivery Agent has previously raised almost $100 million including a $35.5 million round last year led by Intel Capital.