Telefónica has just announced the creation of Axonix, a new company with the sizable financial backing of Telefónica and affiliates of Blackstone’s GSO Capital Partners (GSO).
We’re told this effort represents the first mobile advertising exchange platform owned and powered by a mobile operator.
Here’s how it will work. Axonix will be powered by technology acquired by Telefónica and Blackstone’s GSO Capital that underpinned the programmatic advertising platform, MobClix.
This technology has a four year history of leading the market and, through the creation of Axonix, propels Telefónica into the fast-growing real-time advertising space (RTB) alongside only a small selection of other major technology companies.
Simon Birkenhead has been appointed Chief Executive of Axonix, leaving his current role as Telefónica’s Director of Global Advertising Sales.
“Axonix is created specifically for the mobile advertising industry, using technology with a four year heritage in leading this market to offer a central destination for operator-enriched advertising inventory,” says Stephen Shurrock, CEO of Digital Service and Innovation at Telefónica.
“We’re proud to be the first telecoms company in the world to own and power a mobile ad exchange platform, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to putting digital services front and centre as we transform into a digital telco.”
Shurrock says his company’s immediate priority is to scale the business quickly by attracting the best talent in the industry and partner with leading brands, agencies, networks and publishers to “make highly targeted, relevant and impactful mobile advertising a reality across the globe.”