Dianomi, a native content marketing platform used by financial advertisers and tier one publishers, has received £6.3m patient capital investment to drive international expansion and support the growth of its team.
Dianomi’s proprietary technology platform matches premium sponsored content with relevant and engaged audiences across tier one business publications such as Reuters, MarketWatch and MSN.
The platform provides a brand-safe monetisation solution for publishers’ editorial content and data-driven distribution for advertisers, improving both return on investment and transparency.
The company’s turnover has more than trebled in the past two years, driven by the trend towards ‘content in context’ and online brand protection. Amid growing concerns over clickbait and fake news, major organisations – including governments, banks and other financial institutions – increasingly recognise the value of curated, relevant advertising content to engage digital audiences in a meaningful way.
Founded by Rupert Hodson, Raphael Queisser and Cabell de Marcellus, Dianomi will use the new funding to drive expansion in North America, Germany and the APAC region and increase its sales and data analyst teams.
BGF has provided funding to a number of companies in the technology, media and digital space including video ad sharing platform Unruly and digital advertising platform The Exchange Lab. BGF successfully exited Unruly following the group’s acquisition by News Corp and The Exchange Lab following the group’s acquisition by WPP’s GroupM.
Dianomi has appointed Mike Kelly, CEO of KNV, as non-executive Chair following an introduction by BGF. Kelly is also non-executive director of QuantCast, Celtra and Americantowns. With considerable expertise in the digital marketing sector, Kelly has held executive roles at a number of major media companies including former Chairman of Unruly and former CEO of The Weather Channel. New York based Kelly Newman Ventures also participated in the funding raise.
Growth capital firm Beringea has supported Dianomi through its earlier stage growth and, as part of BGF’s investment, will now exit the company.
Rupert Hodson co-founder and CEO said: “Dianomi has become a major player in the native ad space because we provide marketers with the native trifecta of context, brand safety and scale and publishers with the content that’s most relevant to their readers. The investment from BGF will help us address the growing demand for Dianomi’s current products and new products and help us to expand in new markets.”
Matt Singh, an investor at BGF said: “Dianomi’s platform has significant relevance in the current digital climate. Its proposition – helping companies build trust and audience engagement whilst safeguarding brand value – has resonated with major organisations. There is huge potential to build on this over the longer-term.
“Rupert, Raphael and Cabell have put in place a highly scalable model, which is well placed to deliver further value as the company expands internationally.”
About BGF: BGF is the most active and influential investor in small and mid-sized businesses in the UK. An established and independent company, it has £2.5bn to support a range of growing companies – early stage, growth stage and quoted – across every region and sector of the economy.
BGF makes long-term equity capital investments in return for a minority stake in the companies in backs. Initial investments are typically between £2-£10m and BGF can provide significant follow-on funding. BGF is a minority, non-controlling equity partner with a patient outlook, based on shared long-term goals with the management teams it backs. With a 150+ strong team, BGF offers an unparalleled international network of business leaders, sector experts, board-level non-executives and provides in-house support with Chair and senior executive selection and appointments.
BGF offers flexible investment structures with a mix of equity and shareholder loan notes. BGF can provide equity release for existing shareholders, and funding to support acquisitive and organic growth strategies.
About Beringea: Beringea is one of the UK’s largest and most active growth capital investors. The company has a successful investment track record spanning 30 years and a history of strong partnerships with management teams. Its core areas for investment include digital media, business software and services, and ecommerce.
