• by Val Brickates Kennedy , March 20, 2014

Mobile tech start-up Jana Mobile has created quite a buzz this week in media circles.

Earlier this week, Boston-based Jana unveiled its latest offering, a mobile ad-tech platform called Marketplace that allows advertisers to reach potential customers in emerging markets through their mobile phones, at no cost to the phone user. Which is a big deal in emerging nations, where air-time minutes are especially coveted.

Jana's approach is pretty clever.

Mobile phone users can sign up for Jana's mCent program, where they can earn free airtime if they watch an ad, download an ap or interact with some other type of consumer content. Jana collects user data based on their interactions. Advertisers then can use Jana's mMatch algorithm to target ads at specific individuals. 

Jana has relationships with 237 international mobile-network operators, who together provide service to roughly 3.48 billion users. The marketplace is being rolled out in 11 countries, including Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, and Vietnam. 

The service has already been used by major international advertisers such as Danone, Unilever, Microsoft, Procter and Gamble, General Mills, Johnson and Johnson, and Google.