• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, April 10, 2017

You'd better put Unlockd on your radar, if it's not already.

To date, the Australian startup has attracted investment from the likes of Lachlan Murdoch. It’s also pioneering a new mobile ad model, which involves subsidizing your phone bill in exchange for viewing some ads on your "lock screen."

Now, the company is bringing on Aliza Knox -- Twitter’s former Asia Pacific head -- as its chief operating officer. Starting Wednesday, Knox will oversee global operations, and Unlockd’s ongoing international expansion, including making continued inroads into the U.S. market.

Knox -- who goes so far as to call Unlockd’s business model “revolutionary” -- will report directly to its co-founder and CEO Matt Berriman.

In addition to helping out with people’s mobile bills, Unlockd offers free additional data and premium entertainment content -- all  in exchange for viewing ads. By its own estimate, Unlockd claims to have saved customers around $10 million in value, over the past year.

Of course, other ad firms offer similar swaps, but -- as evidenced by its name -- Unlockd is trying to stake a claim to your phone’s lock screen.

Through a partnership with Sprint offshoot Boost mobile, Unlockd made its U.S. debut at the beginning of 2016.

The service came to the U.S. through an Android app called Boost Dealz, which served geo-targeted ads and discounts. The company’s creative unit offered buyers a full-screen mobile canvas and data like device ID, location, age, and gender.

Additional Unlockd ad partners have included Starbucks, Lyft, Levi’s and Hulu.