Daily Hive’s Post

Decrypt Media Inc. and Rug Radio have announced their intent to merge, creating the world’s biggest decentralized publishing company. Codenamed [REDACTED], the alliance is aimed at revolutionizing tech media, bringing together the forces of content creation and consumption. Under the terms of the merger, qualified members of Rug’s far-flung community will get to craft editorial content on a wide range of topics in collaboration with Decrypt's editors. In return, Decrypt's editorial staff will gain access to Rug's creator platform, a proprietary suite of videocasting tools. In partnership with Arbitrum, [REDACTED] intends to build a cutting-edge ad-tech network that will power [REDACTED] and other affiliated publishers. The merger is slated for completion by the end of January. "We stand on the brink of a new media era,” said Loxley Fernandes, who will be CEO of [REDACTED]. “By fusing Decrypt's journalistic credibility with Rug Radio's trailblazing platform, we're poised to pioneer the future of decentralized media." Rug Radio, a global leader in decentralized content creation, boasts a dynamic community with scores of creators and thousands of active members within its DAO. Decrypt Media, known for its independent publishing aimed at demystifying the Web3 world, reaches millions of people each month who come to its site for news and education. Together, the entities are expected to reach more than 10 million people each month. “This is an example of one plus one equalling three,” said Josh Quittner, who co-founded Decrypt in 2018. “By joining forces with the Rug team and its community, we hope to supercharge our ambition to one day be able to ‘decrypt everything.’” After the merger, [REDACTED] plans to introduce a token that would establish a media ecosystem benefiting consumers, creators, and advertisers alike. The initiative is meant to nurture a sustainable, participatory, and equitable media environment. source: DeCrypt #ICN #web3news #DeCrypt #RugRadio

#nyctech Ignites! 🚀 Exciting News from our friends at AlleyWatch: Qortex Secures $10M in #seedfunding for their Revolutionary #videoanalytics Platform! 🚀 In the booming #digitalvideo #advertising market, Qortex secured $10M in a Seed+ round led by GFT Ventures, with support from Silicon Road Ventures and others, bringing their total funding to $10.6M. Key Business Insights: 🎥 Addressing #MarketNeeds: Digital video advertising, thriving on #connectedtv and #streamingplatforms, demands precision. Qortex, a video analytics platform, delivers the right #videoads at the exact moment within the content, ensuring high-impact results. #AI tags specific video moments for real-time #addisplay, enhancing #engagement and #viewability. 🌐 Versatility in Application: Qortex caters to #adtech platforms, #publishers, and #videoplayers. Its #IntelligentVideoAnalytics (IVA) technology enables rapid categorization of video "moments" at scale. The #MomentsMarketing platform reports 15-30% greater revenue per video stream for advertising campaigns. 💼 Investor Support: Qortex's Seed+ round, led by GFT Ventures, signifies confidence in the company's growth vision. Investors recognize Qortex's unique solution, unparalleled in scale, complexity, and outcome delivery. The $10M funding will propel talent and #technology expansion. 🌐 Market Size and Target Audience: Qortex targets #enterprises seeking advanced #IVA for deeper insights. The #advertising and #publishing sector benefits from Qortex's solutions amid challenges like #walledgardens and the demise of #cookies. 📉 Preparation for Economic Slowdown: Qortex views economic downturns as opportunities for fresh, funded companies. While established players focus on core business, Qortex aims to gain market share and offer unique solutions. 💡 Advice for Companies Without Fresh Capital: Forge #partnerships that complement your business. Whether it's #sales, #marketing, or leveraging bigger channels, #strategicpartnerships can share the burden and enhance growth. 🚀 Near-Term Goals: In 2024, Qortex aims for record growth backed by top investors. The focus is on gaining market recognition and becoming indispensable to major brands. 🔍 Future Outlook: Shifting focus to #brands and #agencies, Qortex aims to make On-Stream, in-video ad experiences indispensable for high-impact results. Qortex's journey provides insights into addressing market needs, investor support, application versatility, and strategic goals. Here's to their continued success and the valuable lessons businesses can glean from their remarkable story! All the best to Zack Rosenberg and the entire Qortex team - Excited to follow your journey. 🚀📈 #BusinessSuccess #VideoAnalytics #AdTechInnovation #startupjourney #startup #startupstories

Hands up if you also used to be a Limewire junkie? 🙋♂️ Balancing the benefits of open content sharing with the need to fairly compensate creators remains one of the internet age's most enduring challenges. Thankfully most of us are no longer destroying our parents computers with malware that comes with the pirated downloads and totally ripping off creators. Yet the revenue sharing arrangements for platforms like Spotify and Youtube still see most of the value captured by the hosts and not the creators. This is the problem that MyPremo is targeting and it certainly resonated with investors throughout their Birchal campaign as they sold out their opportunity raising $1m from 680 investors last night! MyPremo is revolutionising content monetisation for creators, addressing the pressing need for platforms beyond traditional spaces. With the strategic partnership with Ice Cube, MyPremo is set to redefine the creator economy, here are some key highlights of their campaign: - 💡 Innovative Consumption Model: Flexible monetisation for both creators and consumers. - 💥 Customisable Landing Pages: Empowering creators to sell premium content directly to fans, establishing their ultimate online hub. - ⛓ Strategic ‘Link in Bio’ Tool: Amplifies reach by placing MyPremo in every social media bio, connecting millions daily. - 💸 Unique Monetisation Features: Offering unparalleled tools not available elsewhere. With over 1,500 creators and growing, MyPremo is committed to empowering musicians, filmmakers, athletes, and more. The platform’s model is highly scalable, supporting future expansions into merchandise and digital rights management. Well done Cody McDowell and James Gillies from MyPremo and Robin Holt from Jigsaw Agency Co. Always consider the general CSF risk warning and offer doc before investing.

Are MCNs back en vogue? As the co-founder of a multi channel network, it’s now become a morbid sport for me to guess how popular or unpopular the term “MCN” is in any given month among investors and the media writ large. MCNs are intermediaries that (1) have an enterprise partnership with major social media platforms and (2) through that partnership represent and provide mission critical services to multiple creators. In the US, during the first wave of MCN exits around 2015, mixed results for Maker Studio and AwesomenessTV et al. gave MCNs a bad name, and combined with the inherent volatility of such an early stage industry haunted them and kept the more prominent institutional investors away—although financing from less traditional sources including private family offices critically filled the void behind the scenes. It was not until 2021 when the nine-digit fundraising rounds of Jellysmack and Spotter put MCNs back on the map, albeit sans “MCN” moniker. Positioned more as either AI or content funds, nevertheless the explicit mission of a Jellysmack (to maximize creator’s earnings) was identical to its MCN predecessors. Meanwhile in Asia, the MCN label had at first been adopted by all manner of startups hoping to ride the wave of popularity, only to find themselves orphaned by investors once MCNs lost favor. In China, MCNs took on a totally different definition (in which talent is hired and trained in-house), leading further to confusion and conflation among investors and strategics alike. The launch of Fixated is the latest fascinating development harkening back to MCN 1.0, combining talent representation with an in-house content studio and gaming initiatives. #creatoreconomy #socialmedia #entertainment

Quint Digital Limited (QDL), a new-age digital media-technology group listed on an Indian stock exchange, via its newly formed 50:50 US joint venture with Cognita Ventures LLC, Quintype Technologies Inc., has entered into a definitive agreement with Listen First Media LLC to acquire the entire business operations including technology platform, brand, IP, domain name, customer contracts, employees etc... Read More At:- https://lnkd.in/eFGCacpC Quint Digital #QLD #technology #stockexchange #quintypetechnologies #business #brand #customer #news #newsfeed #NewsUpdate #dailynews

Thrilled to share that Shorooq Partners has taken a significant step forward in the ad tech landscape with our recent investment in Ad-Shield. Leading a $2mm pre-Series A round, we're embracing a vision for a healthier digital advertising ecosystem. Ad-Shield stands out with its next-gen adblock recovery solutions, addressing one of the digital world's most pressing challenges — adblockers. With an impressive 90%+ recovery rate, Ad-Shield is not only setting a new standard in the industry but also redefining the relationship between publishers and users for the better. This investment marks our fifth foray into the #Korean #startup scene, highlighting our commitment to bridging innovative technologies between #Asia and the #MENA region. The potential for Ad-Shield to transform digital advertising is immense, and I'm excited to support their journey in reshaping how ads are delivered and experienced online, while respecting user preferences. A huge congratulations to Joon Yu & Dustin Cha and the entire Ad-Shield team. Your hard work and innovation are paving the way for a more inclusive and respectful digital ad ecosystem. Here's to many more milestones together! https://lnkd.in/dyFGfGhX (Businesswire article on the company / our investment) #AdTech #Investment #Innovation #DigitalAdvertising #ShorooqPartners #AdShield 

“Back then we had a PDF and a dream. In our mind, it was simple: we'll just put all the specs in one spot, and the industry will come to us.” When long-time advertising creative, Jesse McLallen and ad producer, Sharon Gray, had the idea to centralise ad specs from every ad publisher in the world, they’d never run a global business or built a large team. As many founders will tell you, it’s one thing to have a great idea. It’s another to bring it to life. Launching a start-up presents a different kind of challenge many founders have never faced - like pitching for funding, developing a viable digital product, and finding the right people to help you scale. But cofounders of The Spec Sheet, Jesse and Sharon, were determined to make it work. Here’s their story… Allura Partners #allurapartners #digital #tech

Kara Swisher once called Chuck Lorre, creator of Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory, an overpaid employee of CBS. #iabtechlab This anecdote comes out in a conversation about media lethargy, especially when in terms of evolving business and ownership models. Part of that revolves around who owns and distributes content and how content creators are monetized/paid for their work. Swisher's relationship with Vox Media is an interesting example of progressive model. But media companies being unwilling to embrace new ways is a story as old as time—and it may be continuing considering the Paramount/SkyDance merger misfire. Are we to just increasingly expect billionaires will acquire and reign supreme over all "premium" publications? (I may have missed it, but I didn't hear any commentary on private equity firms owning major media companies.) But being slow on the take isn't the only place where media companies struggle—they also can't figure out where the consumer is at. "At the WSJ, I would cringe when execs would say, 'How do we get young people to read the newspaper?'" The execs were still thinking about print subscriptions when their consumers were showing a preference for reading online. You have to go to the medium where they are. (Note from Gavin: The only problem there is when you can't easily or thoroughly monetize on consumers' preferred platform, and you can't easily drive traffic to your site/app. This is the social media conundrum of the moment for publishers, but Apple News sorta fits the bill too.) Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab, asks: How has tech influenced digital media? Similar to how Walmart knocked the stuffing out of the retail industry—you could see the change coming, but the industry didn’t want to pay attention. In media, the big companies saw the tech companies as saviors and didn’t realize they were going to destroy them. And now they look ready to be overwhelmed by AI, which could potentially devour what's remaining of the media business. “AI’s not good at the moment!” Oh, it’s going to be good. You ready for that? And there's an interesting segue into "What's the matter with tech founders and CEOs these days?" You can argue the media makes deities out of tech bros/entrepreneurs, but probably the bigger problem is that the tech bros actually believe get high on the hype. Swisher notes that Steve Jobs just considered himself a dude who makes phones. Not the case with certain Twitter/Tesla owners—and some of the reactionary behavior is due to cultural backlash and lack of reverence they feel they are owed. (I'll argue this is the case with most rich people—they think they need to be worshipped/considered SUPA SMART!/revered just because they're wealthy.)

Scoop: Quite a few strange things have happened in 2024 so far, but I didn't have this potential adtech tie-up on my bingo card. I'm hearing Outbrain has emerged as a frontrunner to acquire, merge, or otherwise invest in Altice's video-focused adtech company Teads. Altice has been looking to divest assets to pare down its substantial debt pile. Read more at Business Insider https://lnkd.in/e92gVmVN #outbrain #altice #teads #adtech