Amplified Intelligence, the attention measurement platform launched by Professor Karen Nelson-Field, is planning to make its first hires in the UK and US after closing its first post-seed funding round.
The Australian business, which is on a mission to change the way online media is traded and promotes attention-tracking technology, has closed a $2.2m post-seed funding round.
It’s the first time the company has taken external capital, ahead of an expected Series A round next year. The round is led by TEN13, a market-leading investment syndicate co-founded by Australian tech entrepreneur Steve Baxter.
The company said it will use the funds to accelerate the company’s product roadmap and expand its commercial team around the world, including making its first hires in the UK and US to “service its growing client base in these key markets”.
A spokesman confirmed to Mediatel News that these hires will be made in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Amplified Intelligence was founded in 2017 by CEO Nelson-Field, an academic and author who also writes Attention Revolution, a column for Mediatel News. Earlier this year Philip Townend (ex-Unruly/Newscorp) joined as chief growth officer and second-in-command.
Last year Amplified built AttentionTrace, a software-as-a-service tool that advertisers can use to tap into the company’s attention data. It’s client roster includes brands such as Pepsi, Mars and Shell, as well as ad agency groups WPP and OMD.
Combined with AI-powered attention-tracking, the company says it can provide advertisers with a more accurate picture of how much ad campaigns are generating, instead of relying on legacy metrics such as viewability.
Last month, Nelson-Field revealed that Amplified Intelligence plans to launch audio and cinema ad measurement.
In a video interview with Mediatel News, she also predicted the media industry will be “flooded” with rival companies offering attention measurement over the next year and are likely to specialise.
Nelson-Field said: “Having this investment will help us scale our pioneering tech, invest in R&D and expand our talented teams.
“It means that Amplified can continue to lead the way in making attention the gold standard for ad success and change the advertising landscape for the better.”
Stew Glynn, managing partner at TEN13, added: “The media sector is at a serious inflection point and Amplified currently has the lead position globally in attention-tracking software across multiple media formats. We believe the timing is right for their opportunity given the demise of the cookie and the emerging realisation across the industry that advertising should be measured on the value captured (attention) rather than impressions.”
