Omar Tawakol, CEO of BlueKai, discussed today’s announcement regarding a new $21 million round of funding (Read the release.) with AdExchanger.com.
AdExchanger.com: Obviously, this is a big round. What plans can you share regarding future areas of investment at BlueKai and where this round will be funneled?
OT: One area in particular will get a lot more focus:
Our partners currently use our interface to schedule data campaigns. To make it easier to embed BlueKai data everywhere, we will be releasing APIs, server-to-server capabilities, real time bidder support and other technologies. We have been impressed with the demand for data that our channel has displayed, so we are committed to support them. This will be particularly useful for networks, DSPs (demand-side platforms) and trading desks.
What’s the funding climate like these days? Was there any particular strategy to finding the right partner(s)?
The funding climate is definitely good. For us the right partner had to have two main attributes:
- You want to work with the partners – because they will collaborate with you for years to come.
- They get your business and are excited about its fundamentals.
Is the data exchange model ready to go beyond U.S. borders? Any thoughts regarding international expansion?
Yes, the data exchange model is ready for expansion beyond the US. I can’t give a timeline, but it is definitely something of interest to BlueKai.
By John Ebbert
