NBC Universal joined Disney as investors in mobile advertising this week with an additional $2M infusion of cash to Greystripe’s previously announced $5.5M series C round.
Peacock Equity, the $250 million joint-venture fund co-founded by NBC Universal and its parent, General Electric, has invested $2 million in San Francisco-based Greystripe, a company that distributes ads to ad-supported games and mobile applications. The initial $5.5 million of the round announced earlier this year included such investors as Walt Disney’s Steamboat Ventures.
San Francisco-based Greystripe currently serves mobile ads within more than 1,000 mobile applications from 400 publishers on the iPhone. Rather than simply layer a banner across the bottom or top of an application, the company creates advertisements that look like games themselves. Its technology allows online media buyers to easily add mobile ads to digital campaigns. Greystripe advertisers have included Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Kia, Axe Unilever, Jeep, US Navy and JC Penney.
Universal Pictures was Greystripe’s exclusive launch customer for a new iPhone ad format with an ad for Rogue Picture’s recent release “A Perfect Getaway.” According to the firm, 8% of users who viewed the entire ad experience clicked through to view the trailer.
Greystripe CEO Michael Chang plans to expand Greystripe’s sales team and roll out more advertising features for customers with NBC’s add-on to their series C.
